Meaning & use
aiding
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“aiding” is a form of “aid”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive
Giving help or support to someone or something, especially in a difficult situation.
Grammar: Takes an object: aiding the refugees. Often used in continuous tenses or after prepositions.
Patterns
- aiding someone
- aiding something
- aiding in something
The charity is aiding families who lost their homes in the flood.
She was praised for aiding the injured hiker on the mountain trail.
Foreign governments are aiding the country's recovery after the earthquake.
Word forms
| base form | aid |
|---|---|
| third person singular | aids |
| past tense | aided |
| past participle | aided |
| present participle | aiding |
Common combinations
- aiding and abetting
- He was charged with aiding and abetting the criminal.
- aiding the enemy
- Soldiers can be punished for aiding the enemy during wartime.
- aiding in the search
- The new drone is aiding in the search for missing persons.
- aiding development
- The funds are aiding development in rural communities.
- aiding and supporting
- The organization is dedicated to aiding and supporting refugees.
Synonyms and how they differ
- helping
- More general and informal than 'aiding'; 'helping' can be used for everyday tasks, while 'aiding' often suggests more formal or serious assistance.
- assisting
- Very close in meaning, but 'assisting' often implies a secondary role, whereas 'aiding' can be the main support.
- supporting
- Focuses on providing encouragement or resources over time, while 'aiding' often refers to immediate help in a specific situation.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: aiding or adding?
aiding vs adding
Sounds similar but means putting something together or increasing an amount, not helping.
Practice
Choose the correct preposition: The volunteers are aiding ___ the cleanup effort.
Choose one answer.
The verb 'aid' is often followed by 'with' when talking about the activity being helped: 'aiding with the cleanup'. 'Aid in' is also possible but less common with a gerund like 'cleanup'; 'for' and 'to' do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aiding”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.