different between oblige vs assist

English

Etymology

From Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, obliger, from Latin obligo, obligare, from ob- + ligo. Doublet of obligate, taken straight from Latin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??bla?d?/
• Rhymes: -a?d?

Verb

oblige (third-person singular simple present obliges, present participle obliging, simple past and past participle obliged)

1. (transitive) To constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means.

   I am obliged to report to the police station every week.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To do (someone) a service or favour (hence, originally, creating an obligation).

   He obliged me by not parking his car in the drive.

   The singer obliged with another song.
3. (intransitive) To be indebted to someone.

   I am obliged to you for your recent help.

Usage notes

Aside from in American English and Scottish, "obliged" has largely replaced "obligate" by the 20th century, the latter being more common in the 17th through 19th centuries.

Derived terms

• disoblige

Related terms

• much obliged
• noblesse oblige
• obligate
• obligation
• obligatory
• obligee
• obligor

Translations

References

Anagrams

• big ole, biogel, globie

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?.bli?/

Verb

oblige

1. first-person singular present indicative of obliger
2. third-person singular present indicative of obliger
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of obliger
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of obliger
5. second-person singular imperative of obliger

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [o?blid??e]

Verb

oblige

1. third-person singular present subjunctive of obliga
2. third-person plural present subjunctive of obliga

English

Etymology

From Middle English assisten, from Old French assister (“to assist, to attend”), from Latin assist? (“stand at, bestand”, verb).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??s?st/
• Hyphenation: as?sist
• Rhymes: -?st

Verb

assist (third-person singular simple present assists, present participle assisting, simple past and past participle assisted)

1. To help.
2. (sports) To make a pass that leads directly towards scoring.
3. (medicine) To help compensate for what is missing with the help of a medical technique or therapy.
4. (archaic) To stand (at a place) or to (an opinion).

   A great part of the nobility assisted to his opinion.

5. (now archaic) To be present (at an event, occasion etc.).
   • 1789, Edward Gibbon, Memoirs of My Life, Penguin 1990, p. 138:

     I assisted with pleasure at the representation of several tragedies and comedies.

   • 1967, The Rev. Loren Gavitt (ed.), Saint Augustine's Prayer Book: A Book of Devotion for members of the Episcopal Church, revised edition, West Park, NY: Holy Cross Publications, p. 8:

     To assist at Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation.

Derived terms

Related terms

• assistant
• assistance

Translations

Noun

assist (plural assists)

1. A helpful action or an act of giving.

   The foundation gave a much needed assist to the shelter.

2. (sports) The act of helping another player score points or goals
   1. (soccer) A decisive pass made to the goal scorer
      • 2016, David Hytner, Mesut Özil has Arsenal daring to dream of Premier League glory (in The Guardian, 1 January 2016)[2]

        Özil has 16 assists in the Premier League and three goals; he has two more goals in the Champions League. On Monday, he took Bournemouth apart in the 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, setting up the first for Gabriel and scoring the second himself.

   2. (baseball) A defensive play, allowing a teammate to record a putout.

   He had two assists in the game.

Derived terms

• assistful
• assistless

Translations

Anagrams

• -stasis, sistas, stasis

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English assist.

Noun

assist m (invariable)

1. (sports) assist

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English assist.

Noun

assist c

1. (sports) Make a pass that allows the own team to score (a goal).

Declension