rescue
v. · n.-
1 to save from danger (v.) B1 Intermediateto save someone from a dangerous or harmful situation.
to save or deliver from violence, danger, or harm. Transitive — requires a direct object.
ExampleThe coastguard arrived just in time to rescue the sailors from the sinking boat.
ExampleEmergency services worked through the night to rescue residents trapped in the upper floors of the apartment complex following the flash flood.
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2 to adopt an animal (v.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informalto take a pet from a shelter or a bad home to give it a better life.
to adopt a domestic animal from a shelter or a situation of neglect.
ExampleThey decided to rescue a greyhound from the local animal shelter.
ExampleThe family chose to rescue an older dog with special needs, providing it with a stable environment for its final years.
- adopt
- rehome
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3 to fix a failure (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto save a situation or a project that is going wrong.
to achieve a positive outcome or restore functionality under difficult conditions or after a failure.
ExampleThe chef managed to rescue the sauce by adding a little more cream.
ExampleThe marketing team scrambled to rescue the campaign after the initial launch received unexpectedly negative feedback from the target demographic.
- ruin
- botch
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4 the act of saving (n.) B1 Intermediatethe act of saving someone from danger.
an instance or episode of saving someone or something from a hazardous situation.
ExampleThe mountain rescue took several hours because of the heavy snow.
ExampleThe daring sea rescue was captured on film by a bystander, highlighting the extreme risks faced by the helicopter crew.
From Middle English rescouen, from Old French rescoure, rescurre, rescorre; from Latin prefix re- (“re-”) + excutere (“to shake or drive out”), from ex (“out”) + quatiō (“to shake”).