What does "rescue" mean?
An act or episode of rescuing, saving.
Rescue
/ˈɹɛs.kjuː/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act or episode of rescuing, saving.
- Grammar: rescue is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: saving, abet, affranchise, affranchisement.
- Useful contrasts: abandon, allow collapse, bankruptcy.
- Usage evidence: If you were to fall from that bridge, it would be almost impossible to rescue you.
How to use "rescue"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "rescue" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "rescue" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "rescue" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "rescue" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "rescue" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "saving" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "rescue", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act or episode of rescuing, saving. countable, uncountable
"Guests marveled that they kept making more rescues."
- 2 recovery or preservation from loss or danger wordnet
- 3 A liberation, freeing. countable, uncountable
- 4 The act of unlawfully freeing a person, or confiscated goods, from custody. countable, uncountable
- 5 The forcible ending of a siege; liberation from similar military peril. countable, uncountable
"The rescue of Jerusalem was the original motive of the Crusaders"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A special airliner flight to bring home passengers who are stranded. countable, uncountable
- 7 A rescuee. countable, uncountable
"The dog was a rescue with some behavior issues."
Verb
- 1 To save from any violence, danger or evil. transitive
"The well-trained team rescued everyone after the avalanche."
- 2 take forcibly from legal custody wordnet
- 3 To free or liberate from confinement or other physical restraint. transitive
"to rescue a prisoner from the enemy"
- 4 free from harm or evil wordnet
- 5 To recover forcibly, especially from a siege. transitive
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 To remove or withdraw from a state of exposure to evil and sin. figuratively, transitive
"Traditionally missionaries aim to rescue many ignorant heathen souls."
- 7 To achieve something positive under difficult conditions. figuratively, transitive
"Jews rescued some normalcy from increasingly difficult times by assuaging their constant Angst in the family and community and making do with less."
- 8 To restore a particular trait in an organism that was lost or altered, especially where this loss was as the consequence of some experimental manipulation. transitive
"Mecp2^(R255X/+) [mice] developed an overweight body weight phenotype by 10 weeks age and increased liver and heart weight by 8 months age. Abnormal body, liver and heart weight in Mecp2^(R255X/+) was rescued by MECP2ᵀᵍ¹ allele."
- 9 To salvage and restore something that has been discarded. transitive
"I rescued a set of antique dining chairs."
- 10 To fix a mistake made while preparing something, especially in cooking. transitive
"The cook rescued the sauce after it began to curdle."
- 11 To adopt (an animal). transitive
"We rescued a dog, Dylan, which would begin my lifelong love of animals, especially dogs."
Proper Noun
- 1 A city in California.
Antonyms
Example
"If you were to fall from that bridge, it would be almost impossible to rescue you."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "rescue"?
Common synonyms include: saving, abet, affranchise, affranchisement, aid, assist.
How do you use "rescue" in a sentence?
If you were to fall from that bridge, it would be almost impossible to rescue you.
How do you pronounce "rescue"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɛs.kjuː/.
Etymology
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 (“I shake”).