rescue

1.verbtransitiveB1

Definition

to get someone or something away from a situation that could cause them harm or death, keeping them safe

Example

Firefighter Jabari rescued a young girl from the burning building just before it collapsed.

rescue + person + from + dangerous place

Sahil rescued a stray puppy that was stuck in a narrow drainage pipe.

Common collocations

rescue from
rescue a child
rescue a dog
rescue survivors
rescue hostages
rescue someone from drowning
come to the rescue
rescue mission

Synonyms

save
more general — can mean prevent loss, harm, or death in any context, including medical
free
emphasises releasing from confinement or restraint
deliver
formal or literary tone; often used in religious or heroic narratives

Antonyms

abandon
to leave someone in danger instead of helping them
endanger
to put someone at risk rather than removing them from risk

Grammar Patterns

rescue + [person/animal] + from + [danger/situation]

Usage Note

The person or thing being rescued is the direct object. The source of danger is typically introduced with 'from.' This sense appears frequently in news reporting, emergency services, and personal stories about helping others.

Common Mistakes

I rescued some money for the weekend.

I saved some money for the weekend.

'rescue' means helping from danger, not keeping or storing for later use.

The doctor rescued his patient.

The doctor saved his patient.

'save' is preferred in medical contexts; 'rescue' strongly implies removing from a physical danger or trap.

2.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to use force against officials to set free a person who has been arrested or is being held in legal custody

Example

Armed men rescued the prisoner from a police van at a red light.

rescue + prisoner + from + vehicle under guard

Three men attempted to rescue the gang leader from the courthouse jail during his trial.

attempt to rescue + person + from + legal facility

Common collocations

rescue a prisoner
rescue from custody
rescue from jail
rescue from court
rescue from police

Synonyms

free
softer and slightly less specific; can describe lawful release as well
liberate
more dramatic and often carries political or symbolic meaning

Antonyms

capture
to take someone into custody, the opposite of removing them from it
arrest
the legal act of taking someone into custody

Grammar Patterns

rescue + [prisoner/defendant] + from + [custody/location]

Usage Note

This sense is specific to legal and law-enforcement contexts. It is much less common in everyday conversation than the general 'save from danger' sense. The action is always unlawful, so the subject is typically a criminal group or a person acting outside the law.

1.nounB1

Definition

the act of pulling someone away from harm or removing them from a life-threatening situation

Example

The coastguard performed a dramatic rescue of four sailors from the storm.

carry out a rescue of + [people] + from + [danger]

Pedro won a bravery award for his rescue of a toddler from a busy road.

Common collocations

carry out a rescue
rescue operation
rescue team
rescue effort
rescue mission
come to the rescue
dramatic rescue
successful rescue

Synonyms

saving
more general; can apply to money, time, or prevention of loss
recovery
focuses on retrieving someone from a location; often used for bodies or wreckage
salvage
normally used for objects or property, not living beings

Antonyms

abandonment
the act of leaving someone in danger
neglect
failure to help someone who is in danger

Grammar Patterns

a/the rescue of + [person/group]

come to the + rescue

Usage Note

Common in fixed collocations such as 'rescue operation,' 'rescue team,' 'rescue effort,' and 'rescue mission.' The phrase 'come/go to the rescue' is a fixed expression meaning to help someone in difficulty.

Common Mistakes

He made a rescue to the drowning boy.

He went to the rescue of the drowning boy.

'go/come to the rescue' is the correct fixed phrase.

The rescue of the cat was very quickly.

The rescue of the cat was very quick.

'rescue' is a noun, so it needs an adjective, not an adverb.

2.nounB2

Definition

a place that cares for animals that are sick, injured, or have nowhere safe to live

Example

Lan volunteers at a local animal rescue that cares for abandoned dogs and cats.

volunteer at + [adj] + rescue

The rescue takes in injured wildlife, including owls, rabbits, and hedgehogs.

Common collocations

animal rescue
dog rescue
cat rescue
wildlife rescue
horse rescue
local rescue
rescue centre
rescue charity

Synonyms

shelter
more general; can be a government-run facility; 'rescue' often implies a volunteer-run organisation
sanctuary
emphasises a permanent, safe home, usually for animals that cannot be rehomed
animal centre
neutral term for any facility that houses animals

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] + rescue

a/the + [animal type] + rescue

Usage Note

In this sense, 'rescue' refers to the organisation or facility itself, not the action. It is often modified by the type of animal the organisation helps, as in 'cat rescue,' 'dog rescue,' or 'wildlife rescue.'

Common Mistakes

I took my dog to the rescue.' (if you mean your own dog)

I got my dog from the rescue.

'rescue' in this sense is a place; you go to it to adopt an animal, not to bring your own pet.

3.nounB2

Definition

an animal that was living in unsafe or unhealthy conditions and has been brought to a loving permanent home

Example

Dewi adopted a three-legged rescue from the shelter after seeing its photo online.

adopt a rescue from + [place]

Their dog Bruno is a rescue that was found abandoned on a highway.

be a rescue

Common collocations

adopt a rescue
be a rescue
rescue dog
rescue cat
rescue animal
ex-rescue

Synonyms

adopted pet
broader term; 'rescue' specifically implies the animal was in distress before adoption
shelter pet
focuses on the origin rather than the animal's past suffering

Antonyms

pedigree dog
a dog from a breeder with known parents, as opposed to a rescue with unknown background

Grammar Patterns

be a rescue

adopt a rescue

Usage Note

Used conversationally to describe an adopted pet's background. The phrase 'is a rescue' is a common way to explain that a pet was adopted from a shelter rather than bought from a breeder.

Common Mistakes

She is a rescue.' (about a person)

She is a rescue worker.

this sense only applies to animals, not people.

1.adjectiveB2

Definition

describing an animal that was taken from a harmful or neglected situation and given a new permanent home with a family

Example

Alessia adopted a rescue dog from the shelter that had been found on the street.

rescue + dog/cat/horse, followed by 'from'

The rescue rabbit was very nervous around people but slowly learned to trust them.

Common collocations

rescue dog
rescue cat
rescue horse
rescue rabbit
rescue animal
rescue pet

Synonyms

adopted
broader; can apply to any pet obtained from a shelter, not necessarily one that was in distress

Antonyms

pedigree
a dog from a breeder with documented lineage

Grammar Patterns

rescue + [animal noun]

Usage Note

Attributive only — this sense always appears before a noun referring to an animal. It does not apply to people. Distinguish from adjective sense 2 (SEARCH AND RESCUE), where the animal performs rescue work rather than having been rescued itself.

Common Mistakes

She has a rescue child.

She has a rescue dog.

this sense only works with animals, never people.

❌ 'My rescue cat is still very wild.' (ambiguous) — if you mean 'my cat that I rescued' vs 'my cat that does rescue work,' the context usually makes it clear, but 'adopted cat' is clearer for this sense.

2.adjectiveB2

Definition

describing an animal that has received special training to find or help people during emergencies such as natural disasters or accidents

Example

The rescue dog was trained to find people buried under snow after avalanches.

rescue dog trained to + [task]

Rescue dolphins are taught to guide boats toward swimmers in trouble at sea.

rescue + [species] + trained to + [task]

Common collocations

rescue dog
rescue horse
rescue dolphin
rescue animal
search-and-rescue dog

Synonyms

search-and-rescue
the full compound adjective is more formal and precise
working
broader; any animal trained for a job, not specifically rescue work

Grammar Patterns

rescue + [trained animal noun]

Usage Note

Distinguish from adjective sense 1 (ADOPTED PET). In this sense, the animal performs rescue work rather than being rescued itself. Context — look for words about training, professional work, or emergency scenes.

Word family

rescuer
nounB1
rescued
adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

While these four words all involve helping someone avoid harm, they differ in scope and context. 'Rescue' is the most specific — it means removing someone from an immediate physical danger (a burning building, a flood). 'Save' is much broader: it can mean preventing any kind of loss or harm (save money, save a life in a hospital, save a document). 'Free' focuses on releasing from confinement or restraint (free a trapped animal, free a hostage). 'Deliver' is formal or literary and often carries a heroic or religious tone (deliver us from evil). 'Liberate' has political overtones, typically referring to freeing a group from oppression or occupation. In everyday speech, 'rescue' is the right word for pulling someone out of a dangerous situation; 'save' is the right word for preventing them from dying in a medical context. For example: 'Firefighters rescued the family from the burning house' versus 'Doctors saved the patient's life after surgery.'

save ↗free ↗deliver ↗liberate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

come to the rescue
go to the rescue
rescue from danger

Prepositions

from

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'rescue' entered English in the 14th century through Old French 'rescorre' or 'rescure,' which meant 'to save from danger.' The French verb combined the Latin prefix 're-' (used here as an intensive marker, adding force to the action) with 'excutere,' meaning 'to shake out' or 'to drive out' (from 'ex-' = out + 'quatere' = to shake). The core image is of pulling someone violently out of harm's way. The noun form appeared around the same time, and the adjective use (as in 'rescue dog') developed more recently in the 20th century as animal welfare movements grew.

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rescue

rescue — verb

1. to get someone or something away from a situation that could cause them harm or

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to use force against officials to set free a person who has been arrested or is

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

rescue — noun

1. the act of pulling someone away from harm or removing them from a life-threateni

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a place that cares for animals that are sick, injured, or have nowhere safe to l

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. an animal that was living in unsafe or unhealthy conditions and has been brought

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

rescue — adjective

1. describing an animal that was taken from a harmful or neglected situation and gi

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. describing an animal that has received special training to find or help people d

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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