assist
/əˈsɪst/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈsɪst/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈsist/ (ame, mw)
assist — verb
1. to do part of a task alongside someone, or to give them what they need so the ta
to do part of a task alongside someone, or to give them what they need so the task is easier or finishes faster.
Two trainee nurses assisted Dr. Patel during the four-hour heart surgery.
assist + somebody (during a professional task)
Anaya assisted her grandmother with the grocery bags up the steep stairs.
assist + somebody + with + noun
A local guide assisted the climbers in finding the safest route down the mountain.
Volunteers from the church assisted with cleanup after the flood damaged the village.
Bao was assisted by a translator throughout the long courtroom hearing.
文法句型
assist + somebody
assist + somebody + with + noun
assist + somebody + in + -ing
assist + with + noun
用法筆記
More formal than 'help'; common in workplaces, hospitals, and customer-service contexts. Object is usually a person, and the action is often a specific task rather than vague support.
常見錯誤
2. to be at a police station answering officers' questions in connection with a pos
to be at a police station answering officers' questions in connection with a possible offence — used by news reports as a polite way to say someone is being questioned without yet being charged.
A 42-year-old man is currently assisting the police with their inquiries into the warehouse fire.
fixed phrase: assisting the police with their inquiries
The BBC reported that two suspects were assisting officers with inquiries on Sunday morning.
passive-style news register
Mr. Hayes spent six hours assisting the police with their inquiries before being released without charge.
Detectives confirmed that a local teacher was assisting them with inquiries into the missing funds.
- be questioned
plain everyday equivalent without the euphemism
- be interviewed
neutral police-procedure term
文法句型
assist + the police + with + their inquiries
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed pattern 'assisting the police with their inquiries'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense does NOT mean the person is voluntarily helping detective work; it is a euphemism for being questioned as a possible suspect.
常見錯誤
assist — noun
1. in sports such as basketball, football, or ice hockey, a pass or touch by one pl
in sports such as basketball, football, or ice hockey, a pass or touch by one player that directly sets up a teammate's goal, basket, or point.
LeBron James finished the game with 28 points and eleven assists for the Lakers.
countable noun, plural 'assists' in stat lines
Mei scored the winning goal from a beautiful assist by her younger sister.
an assist by + somebody
The young striker now leads the league in goals, assists, and shots on target.
A clever no-look assist from Carter set up the easy layup at the buzzer.
文法句型
an assist
an assist from + somebody
an assist by + somebody
用法筆記
Always countable, and almost always plural in statistics ('20 assists this season'). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is a specific scoring play, not general help. Common in basketball, hockey, soccer, and baseball; the exact rule for what counts varies by sport.
常見錯誤
2. a single useful action that someone does to make another person's job easier — o
a single useful action that someone does to make another person's job easier — often used in a half-joking journalistic way to credit the person behind the success.
The mayor passed the new park bill with an assist from two retired senators.
with an assist from + somebody (journalistic credit)
Sami solved the puzzle in twelve minutes, with a small assist from her older brother.
a small / quick assist (countable, modified)
The chef prepared the wedding dinner alone, with an assist from one young apprentice.
The novelist finished the final chapter on time, thanks to a timely assist from her editor.
- helping hand
warmer, more idiomatic in everyday speech
- assistance
more formal and abstract; uncountable in most uses
- boost
stresses the lift in progress rather than the action itself
文法句型
an assist from + somebody
with an assist from + somebody
用法筆記
Sounds borrowed from sports — that sporty flavour is part of the meaning, so this noun is used mostly in journalism and casual writing, not in formal reports. Distinguish from sense 1: here the action does not need to be a pass in a game; it can be advice, a phone call, a small favour.