not if i can help it

  • 1not if you can help it — (not) if (you) can help it when you are able to prevent it. No one sails at this time of year if they can help it …

    New idioms dictionary

  • 2can help — ◇ If you can help something, you can prevent it from happening. Can I help it [=is it my fault] if no one listens to my advice? There will be no more layoffs. At least not if I can help it. [=if I can prevent it; if it is up to me] • • • Main… …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 3not if can help it — (not) if (you) can help it when you are able to prevent it. No one sails at this time of year if they can help it …

    New idioms dictionary

  • 4if you can help it — (not) if (you) can help it when you are able to prevent it. No one sails at this time of year if they can help it …

    New idioms dictionary

  • 5if can help it — (not) if (you) can help it when you are able to prevent it. No one sails at this time of year if they can help it …

    New idioms dictionary

  • 6help — 1 /help/ verb 1 MAKE POSSIBLE OR EASIER (I, T) to make it possible or easier for someone to do something by doing part of their work or by giving them something they need: If there s anything I can do to help, just give me a call. | She devoted… …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • 7help — help1 W1S1 [help] v [: Old English; Origin: helpan] 1.) [I and T] to make it possible or easier for someone to do something by doing part of their work or by giving them something they need ▪ If there s anything I can do to help, just give me a… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 8help — I UK [help] / US verb Word forms help : present tense I/you/we/they help he/she/it helps present participle helping past tense helped past participle helped *** Get it right: help: The verb help is not used with the ing form of another verb. It… …

    English dictionary

  • 9help — verb. Help is one of the oldest words in English, going back to the time of King Alfred (9c). It has two principal meanings in current English: ‘to assist’ (Can I help you?) and ‘to prevent’ (I can t help it). The connection between these two… …

    Modern English usage

  • 10Help — (h[e^]lp), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Helped} (h[e^]lpt) (Obs. imp. {Holp} (h[=o]lp), p. p. {Holpen} (h[=o]l p n)); p. pr. & vb. n. {Helping}.] [AS. helpan; akin to OS. helpan, D. helpen, G. helfen, OHG. helfan, Icel. hj[=a]lpa, Sw. hjelpa, Dan. hielpe …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English