rescue

RES-kyoo/ˈɹɛs.kjuː/

Noun pluralrescues

15 meanings of rescue

1
verbtransitive
To save someone or something from danger, harm, or a bad situation.
Like pulling a friend out of deep water before they sink.
Firefighters rescue people trapped in burning buildings.
She rescued the kitten from the rising water.
Similarfree, deliver
Oppositeendanger, imperil
Note
2
nouncountable
The act of saving someone or something from danger.
Like pulling someone to safety just in time.
The rescue took several hours in freezing conditions.
Everyone cheered when the rescue finally succeeded.
Similarrecovery, extraction, evacuation
3
verbtransitive
To free someone from being held, locked up, or tied down.
Like opening a cage to let a trapped bird fly free.
Soldiers rescued the hostages from the locked basement.
They rescue animals caught in old, deep wells.
Similarrelease, free, liberate
Oppositecapture, arrest, kidnap
4
verbfigurativelytransitive
To save a bad situation and turn it into something good.
Like saving a falling stack of plates at the last second.
A late goal rescued the game for the home team.
Good teamwork can rescue almost any tough project.
Similarsave, salvage, redeem
Oppositeruin, sink
Note
5
verbtransitive
To take in a homeless or mistreated animal and give it a home.
Like giving a lost pet a warm, safe place to stay.
They rescued a scruffy terrier from the shelter.
Many families rescue older cats that no one else wants.
Similaradopt
Note
6
nouncountable or uncountable
The act of setting someone free from being held or locked up.
Like unlocking a door so someone trapped inside can walk out.
The rescue freed dozens held in the underground cells.
After her rescue, she thanked the guards who had set her free.
Similarliberation, release, deliverance, freeing
Oppositecapture
7
verbtransitive
To save something that was thrown away and make it useful again.
Like finding treasure in a pile of trash and cleaning it up.
He rescued an old desk from the curb and refinished it.
They rescue broken furniture and turn it into art.
Similarsalvage, save, reclaim, recover, retrieve
Oppositediscard, scrap
8
verbtransitive
To fix a mistake while making something, especially while cooking.
Like patching a small hole before the whole thing falls apart.
A spoonful of cream rescued the sauce that had gotten too spicy.
You can often rescue a dry cake with a sweet syrup.
Similarsave, salvage, fix
Oppositeruin, spoil
9
verbfigurativelytransitive
To save someone from a sinful life and lead them toward good.
Like pulling someone back from the edge of a cliff.
The preacher believed faith could rescue lost souls.
She felt the church had rescued her from a dark path.
Similarsave, redeem
Oppositecorrupt, deprave
10
nouncountable
The act of breaking a siege and freeing people from a military attack.
Like help arriving just before a wall finally gives way.
The town's rescue came when fresh troops broke through the enemy lines.
Everyone prayed for a quick rescue before the food ran out.
Similarrelief, liberation, deliverance

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Old French and before that from Latin, from a word meaning to shake or drive out.