assist
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to help someone, especially by doing part of their work or giving them information.
v.to provide help or support to someone in the performance of a task. Often used in formal or professional contexts.
Simple“A local guide will assist you with your luggage when you arrive at the hotel.”
In context“The research department was asked to assist the legal team in preparing the final report for the board of directors.”
UsageOften takes the preposition 'with' for the task or 'in' followed by a gerund.
PitfallHe assisted to me with my bags. He assisted me with my bags.The verb 'assist' is transitive and takes a direct object; do not use 'to' before the person being helped.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to use a machine or medical method to help a part of the body work correctly.
v.to provide mechanical or technical aid to a bodily function or medical process.
Simple“The patient needed a machine to assist his breathing during the night.”
In context“Modern ventilators are designed to assist natural respiration while the patient's lungs recover from the infection.”
UsageCommonly seen in the passive form 'assisted'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a pass that helps a teammate score a goal or point.
v.to perform an action, typically a pass, that directly leads to a teammate scoring a goal or point.
Simple“She assisted the winning goal with a perfect pass across the field.”
In context“The midfielder assisted three goals in a single half, demonstrating exceptional vision and passing accuracy.”
Synonymsset up - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an act of helping someone.
n.the act of providing help or a specific instance of assistance.
Simple“I just need a little assist to move this heavy table into the corner.”
In context“The driver gave the stranded motorist an assist by jump-starting her car in the freezing rain.”
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.a pass or play that allows a teammate to score.
n.a statistic credited to a player whose action leads directly to a goal or basket by a teammate.
Simple“The striker finished the season with ten goals and fifteen assists.”
In context“The point guard's high number of assists reflects his unselfish style of play and his ability to create scoring opportunities for others.”
assist vs attend — Assist means to help someone, while attend means to be present at an event.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti Proto-Italic *sistō Latin sistō Latin assistō Old French assisterbor. Middle English assisten English assist From Middle English assisten, from Old French assister (“to assist, to attend”), from Latin assistō (“stand at, bestand”, verb).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.