Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for helping hand. Search instead for helping kids.
Synonyms

helping hand

American  

noun

  1. aid; assistance.

    to give the destitute a helping hand.
helping hand British  

noun

  1. assistance

    many people lent a helping hand in making arrangements for the party
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
helping hand Idioms  

  1. see under lend a hand.

Etymology

Origin of helping hand

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Parkkonen, who appears on stage as enigmatic and brooding while lamenting his unanswered love next to a flaming confessional, hoped the song will serve as "a helping hand".

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

What’s more, lower interest rates and new tax cuts were expected to lend a helping hand.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

“The voters are stuck with no choice here. And I had a helping hand in creating that situation.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

"Sometimes we all need a little helping hand."

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2025

Why did he fall short when he tried to offer me a helping hand?

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.