援助|えんじょenjo[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. noun, suru verb, transitive verbassistance; aid; support
   サムは彼かれの援助えんじょを求もとめる人ひとなら誰だれでも援助えんじょする。↗

   Sam helps whoever asks him to.

• Synonym支援しえんNeutralEmphasizes helping someone's activities from the side, as in 「被災地支援」「就職支援」; 「援助」 often means giving funds, goods or technology to people in need. The two overlap a lot.
• Synonym援護えんごWrittenWritten/formal prose. Means aiding while also protecting, or military cover, as in 「援護射撃」; carries a protective nuance 「援助」 lacks.
• Synonym扶助ふじょWrittenWritten/formal prose. Help and support in general, and especially state livelihood support, as in 「生活扶助」; common in legal and welfare texts.
• Synonym助力じょりょくNeutralLending a hand to someone's work or activity, as in 「ご助力をお願いします」; often used in requests and thanks. 「援助」 focuses on helping people or groups in difficulty.
• Synonym応援おうえんNeutralBeyond sending reinforcements, it also means cheering people on, as in 「応援団」, with a nuance of moral encouragement; 「援助」 is never used for cheering.
• Synonym助成じょせいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Funding a project mainly financially, often by government or public bodies, as in 「研究助成金」; mostly for projects and activities.
• SynonymサポートNeutralCommon loanword covering support and help broadly, also customer service as in 「サポートセンター」; more casual in tone than 「援助」.
• SynonymアシストNeutralLoanword for assisting, as in 「電動アシスト自転車」, with a sports sense of assist (a goal-setting pass); 「援助」, the formal word for helping those in need, has no such sense.
• Synonym後援こうえんWrittenWritten/formal prose. Backing someone from behind as a patron, often with funds or organization, as in 「後援会」; 「援助」 directly helps those in need, without that nuance.
• Synonym救済きゅうさいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Delivering people from disaster or misfortune, as in 「被害者救済」, and also a religious sense of salvation; stresses relieving suffering.
• Synonym協賛きょうさんWrittenWritten/formal prose. Endorsing an event and helping fund or run it, as in 「協賛企業」; typical of sponsors of events and competitions.
• Synonym後押しあとおしCasualColloquial. Literally pushing from behind, figuratively backing or boosting something, as in 「改革を後押しする」; no emphasis on giving material aid.
• Synonym賛助さんじょWrittenWritten/formal prose. Endorsing a cause and backing it with effort or funds, as in 「賛助会員」; mostly in organizations' membership schemes.
• Synonym手伝うてつだうNeutralEveryday verb for doing part of someone's work together, as in 「引っ越しを手伝う」; 「援助」 is a formal noun and doesn't require hands-on participation.
• Synonym手助けてだすけNeutralA casual, everyday noun for giving a hand, as in 「ちょっとした手助け」; 「援助」 is more formal and stresses helping a party in difficulty.
• Synonym助けたすけNeutralEveryday noun for help in general, including rescue, as in 「助けを求める」; 「援助」 leans formal and written.
• Synonym補助ほじょNeutralHelp that fills a shortfall, as in 「補助金」「補助輪」; the emphasis is on supplementing, which 「援助」 does not stress.
• Synonym力添えちからぞえWrittenWritten/formal prose. Lending one's strength; usually 「お力添え」 in requests and thanks, as in 「お力添えを賜る」, with a strong honorific flavor.
• Synonym補佐ほさWrittenWritten/formal prose. Assisting someone at their side in their duties, also the post itself, as in 「課長補佐」; centers on the working relationship.
• SynonymヘルプCasualColloquial loanword for helping out, also a cry or call for help, as in 「ヘルプに入る」「ヘルプを出す」; 「援助」 is more formal and never expresses asking for help.
• Related救援きゅうえんWrittenWritten/formal prose. Rescuing people in crisis or dire straits, as in 「救援物資」; stresses urgent rescue, while 「援助」 is not limited to emergencies.
• Related救助きゅうじょNeutralSaving people from danger, as in 「人命救助」; the focus is on saving lives. 「援助」 means helping people in difficulty, who are not necessarily in danger.
• Related救護きゅうごWrittenWritten/formal prose. Rescuing and caring for the sick and injured, as in 「救護班」; centers on medical care, unlike the general help of 「援助」.
• Related助けるたすけるNeutralThe most all-purpose verb: it covers both rescuing from danger and everyday helping, as in 「人を助ける」; 「援助」 is a Sino-Japanese noun with a formal flavor.
• Related加担かたんWrittenWritten/formal prose. Joining a side to help it, often with the negative nuance of taking part in wrongdoing, as in 「犯罪に加担する」; 「援助」 has no such taint.
• Relatedお手伝いおてつだいCasualColloquial. Helping someone with tasks, as in 「家事のお手伝い」; also means a maid. Mostly for small daily chores, a different scale from 「援助」.
• Related加勢かせいNeutralJoining one side to bolster it, as in 「味方に加勢する」; mostly used in confrontations and fights.
• Related肩入れかたいれCasualColloquial. Favoring or especially backing one side, as in 「新人に肩入れする」; carries a nuance of personal favoritism, unlike 「援助」.
• Related支持しじNeutralAbout approving or backing a person or idea, as in 「政党を支持する」; expresses a stance. 「援助」 is actually giving help.
• Related介助かいじょWrittenWritten/formal prose. Attending to the sick, elderly or disabled and helping their daily movements, as in 「入浴介助」; typical of caregiving settings.
• Related輔翼ほよくWrittenHighly literary with an archaic, elegant tone: aiding and assisting; rare in modern use — say 「援助」 or 「補佐」 instead.
• Antonym妨害ぼうがいNeutralAntonym of 「援助」: deliberately obstructing what others do, as in 「業務妨害」; common in legal and news contexts.
• Antonym阻害そがいWrittenWritten/formal prose and an antonym of 「援助」: holding back the development or progress of something, as in 「成長を阻害する」; usually abstract objects.

Use 「援助」 for helping people in difficulty and 「支援」 for assisting someone's activities; the two are often interchangeable. For rescuing people from danger, use 「救援」 or 「救助」; for funding projects, 「助成」; for everyday helping, 「手伝う」 or 「助ける」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 困こまっている人ひとや団体だんたいに力ちからを貸かすこと。