succor

American  

[suhk-er] / ˈsʌk ər /

especially British, succour

noun

1. help; relief; aid; assistance.

   Synonyms:

   support

2. a person or thing that gives help, relief, aid, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to help or relieve.

   Synonyms:

   support

Spelling

See -or ¹.

Related Words

See help.

Other Word Forms

• nonsuccor noun
• succorable adjective
• succorer noun
• unsuccorable adjective
• unsuccored adjective

Etymology

Origin of succor

1250–1300; (verb) Middle English sucuren from Old French suc(c)urre, socorre from Latin succurrere “to go beneath, run to help,” equivalent to suc- suc- + currere “to run” ( current ); (noun) Middle English soc(o)ur, back formation from sucurs (taken as plural) from Old French from Medieval Latin succursus, equivalent to Latin succur(rere) + -sus, var of -tus suffix of verbal action

Explanation

Succor is relief or help. If you've just woken up in the midst of a lion's den, wearing nothing but raw meat pajamas — sounds like you could use some succor! In archaic times, succor meant a reinforcement of troops during a hard battle. These days though, those reinforcements are a bit more figurative. Succor is a helping hand in a time of need, relief when the going gets tough. Succor can also be used as a verb, as in, "After Bob fell overboard, he was saved — succored by a life preserver."

Example Sentences

Ukrainians have for centuries been mostly an agrarian nation, plowing fertile black soils and relying on neighbors for physical and spiritual succor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

But late Tuesday night a district judge in Western Pennsylvania did give them some succor.

From Salon • May 14, 2025

Elders say the land was blessed by Usen, their Creator, and inhabited by Ga’an, the mountain spirits or angels who provide spiritual succor and guidance to seekers.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2023

What gives Adams succor, even now, is a younger group of activists coming to the fore and working in new ways.

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2023

The Lawrence family was pious in the manner of northern Midwestern Lutherans, religion serving as much as the warp and woof of the community fabric as a source of personal succor or theological speculation.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• sustenance