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help me
/hɛlp miː/
request for assistance
I'm stuck! Help me!
A direct plea for someone to provide aid or support.
informal
A request for assistance or support.
Can you help me carry these boxes?
A polite request for physical assistance.
Help me! I can't swim!
An urgent cry for immediate aid.
Used in both urgent and casual contexts. Often followed by a specific action or reason.
Collocations
help me outassist me in a situationhelp me pleasea polite request for help
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Polite vs. Urgent Tone
Use 'Could you help me...?' for polite requests and 'Help me!' for urgent situations. Tone matters significantly in English.
Gold Rule
Directness in Requests
English often prefers direct but polite phrasing. 'Help me' is clear and concise, while adding 'please' softens the request.
Word Origin
The phrase combines 'help' (Old English 'helpan', meaning to aid or assist) and 'me' (Old English 'mē', the objective form of 'I'). The construction has been used in English since at least the 14th century.
Usage Notes
Common in both spoken and written English. Often used in emergencies, requests for favors, or when seeking guidance. Can be direct (Help me!) or polite (Could you help me?).
Word Breakdown
help
to provide assistance or support
verbme
the object pronoun referring to the speaker
pronounEnglish Dictionary