Synonyms

helping

American

[hel-ping] / ˈhɛl pɪŋ /

noun

the act of a person or thing that helps.
a portion of food served to a person at one time.

That's his third helping of ice cream.

adjective

giving aid, assistance, support, or the like.

helping British

/ ˈhɛlpɪŋ /

noun

a single portion of food taken at a meal

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of helping

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; see origin at help, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Vocabulary lists containing helping

"Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf"

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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.

"Georgie would love Kim... she was all for helping people through her book and her podcasts... her life was helping others."

From BBC • May 7, 2026

One goal is to add drugs that improve how cells respond to insulin, helping glucose move more efficiently from the bloodstream into tissues.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

The family moved to Georgia, and as a young man Turner began doing odd jobs for the billboard company his father had set up, cutting weeds in front of the signs and helping the painters.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Khosrowshahi on Wednesday said AI is helping create “employees with superpowers.”

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

“That’s not true. I’m helping by watching Lily.”

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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