Help out Definition 1 of 3Pro Tip 1/3Voluntary Action The phrase can imply voluntary assistance without direct benefit to oneself. She spends her weekends helping out at the animal shelter. Pro Tip 2/3Casual Support It's often used to describe casual or occasional assistance, rather than a formal obligation. Can anyone help out with setting up the event tonight? Pro Tip 3/3Not Full Responsibility 'Help out' implies support, not taking on full responsibility for the task. Jim is helping out with coding, but he's not the lead programmer.