assist
Americanverb (used with object)
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assists,
present (3rd person singular)
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assisted,
past participle, past
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assisting
present participle
verb (used without object)
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assists,
present (3rd person singular)
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assisted,
past participle, past
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assisting
present participle
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to give aid or help.
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to be present, as at a meeting or ceremony.
noun
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assists
plural
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Sports.
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Baseball. a play that helps to put out a batter or base runner.
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Basketball, Ice Hockey. a play that helps a teammate in gaining a goal.
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the official credit scored for such plays.
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a helpful act.
She finished her homework without an assist from her father.
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Machinery. an electrical, hydraulic, or mechanical means of increasing power, efficiency, or ease of use.
a luxury automobile equipped with assists for brakes, steering, windows, and seat adjustment.
verb
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to give help or support to (a person, cause, etc); aid
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to work or act as an assistant or subordinate to (another)
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ice hockey to help (a team-mate) to score, as by passing the puck
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archaic to be present; attend
noun
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the act of helping; aid; assistance
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baseball the act of a player who throws or deflects a batted ball in such a way that a team is enabled to put out an opponent
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sport
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a pass or other action by a player which enables another player to score a goal
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a credit given for such an action
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Synonym Usage
See help.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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assisternoun
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nonassisternoun
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overassistverb
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reassistverb (used with object)
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assistiveadjective
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unassistedadjective
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unassistingadjective
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well-assistedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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assistsimple
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assistssimple
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have assistedperfect
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has assistedperfect
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am assistingprogressive
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are assistingprogressive
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is assistingprogressive
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have been assistingperfect progressive
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has been assistingperfect progressive
Past
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assistedsimple
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had assistedperfect
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was assistingprogressive
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were assistingprogressive
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had been assistingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of assist
First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin assistere “to stand by, help,” from as- as- ( def. ) + sistere “to cause to stand, stop,” derivative of stāre “to stand” ( see also stand ( def. ))
Explanation
You run up the field, pass the ball to the forward and she scores! It’s your third assist of the game. On and off the soccer field, to assist is to help or contribute. The English word assist came to us in the early 15th century from the French word assister, meaning to "to stand by or help.” The French word is pronounced "ah-sis-tay" and is not to be confused with "a sister." Even if your sister is helpful.
Vocabulary lists containing assist
Defense, Dribble, and Dunk: Basketball Lingo
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Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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Herbert Hoover on "Rugged Individualism" (1928)
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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.
See Examples For:
Around 350 members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces arrived last week in Borneo's hard-hit West Kalimantan province, with three helicopters on hand to assist with firefighting efforts, the mission's public affairs officer Takeshi Koga told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
In the replies, Rupar’s followers posted photos of disability devices that are worn around the hips in order to assist people with walking.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
Only striker Khadija Shaw has scored more City goals in the professional era than Hemp, and the England forward is second in the WSL's all-time assist charts.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
The California Highway Patrol continues to assist Harris’ security detail, but their officers were not on-site last night, according to CHP Sgt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
The superintendent assigned a detective to assist him, Detective John Schnooks, an old friend of Geyer’s.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
As the Fantasy Football Scout notes, an eight-match run from gameweek 18 to 25 saw Kane notch 77 points with nine goals, four assists and 16 bonus points.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
To help kick off the 78th Emmy Awards Monday, Mariska Hargitay tapped a friend who knows something about assists: New York Knicks point guard Jalen Bruson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
He has already played in two World Cup finals for France, scored a record 22 goals in the tournament and has more goals, assists and trophies at 27 than Ronaldo did at the same age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
The goals record is good, but the assists are not.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
I scored eight points, made two assists, had one block, and got three rebounds.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
A nursing-home room could cost $100,000 a year or more than $60,000 for assisted living.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Kratochvilova's record has been questioned, with claims it was assisted by her country's doping regime that existed at the time, something she has strenuously denied.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Riders of legal electrically assisted pedal bikes must be at least 14, and any illegal modification means the bikes qualify as a motor vehicle/moped, requiring registration, a driving licence, tax and insurance.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
In 2019, he assisted the campaigns of several leftist Peronist candidates in provincial races in Argentina, and later founded his own consultancy, Numen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
“Those of you who assisted us in the effort to take down Erudite will be rewarded,” says Evelyn.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
She is the Safer Shrewsbury coordinator, responsible for the Shrewsbury Rangers, external - a security team which patrols the streets, assisting shopkeepers and the police.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
"Our immediate priorities are supporting those affected, assisting the appropriate authorities, and ensuring that accurate and verified information is communicated as it becomes available," he added.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Also assisting Pat are her eccentric neighbor, Prichard Knowles, and her daughter, Sofia, who contributes tough-love tips on how her mother might improve her own insensitive behavior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department announced Friday that it worked with several assisting agencies to serve search warrants across Orange and L.A. counties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
“We’ve gone from training and assisting the saviors of humankind to playing nursemaid? No thank you.”
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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.
