helping
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a single portion of food served to one person at a meal.
n.a portion of food served to or taken by one person. Countable in this sense.
Simple“He was so hungry that he asked for a second helping of pasta.”
In context“The host insisted on giving everyone a generous helping of the traditional dessert, despite several guests claiming they were already full.”
- 02 A1 Beginner
v.the act of giving aid, support, or assistance to someone.
v.the present participle of 'help', describing the act of providing assistance or relief.
Simple“Helping others is a great way to feel more connected to your community.”
In context“By helping the local charity with their fundraising efforts, the students gained valuable experience in project management and public relations.”
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage helping the academic · helping people · helping explain
From Middle English helping, helpinge, helpynge, equivalent to help + -ing.
From Middle English helpinge, helpynge, helpinde, helponde, helpand, from Old English helpende, present participle of Old English helpan (“to help”), equivalent to help + -ing. Cognate with Dutch helpend, German helfend, Swedish hjälpande.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.