Meanings
nounhelping verb (plural helping verbs)
plural helping verbs
- grammarAn auxiliary verb; a verb that accompanies the main verb in a clause.
Such verbs as can be formed through the present and past times without the aid of any of these helping verbs, are called principal verbs, and are formed thus:
1814, Lindley Murray, The Young Man's Best Companion: And Book of General Knowledge
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Cite this entry
APA
helping verb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helping%20verb
MLA
“helping verb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helping%20verb. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “helping verb,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helping%20verb.
Source: helping verb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.