Samaritan



good Samaritan

A person who selflessly helps others, especially those in distress. Taken from a parable in the Bible in which a Samaritan man was the only person who stopped to help a man who was robbed and beaten. Brad was hailed by the newspaper as a good Samaritan after he stepped in and helped a woman who was being robbed.
See also: good, Samaritan

a good Samaritan

someone who tries to help people who have problems
Usage notes: This phrase comes from a story in the Bible where a Samaritan man helped someone who was injured even though others would not help him.
He's such a good Samaritan. He used to go shopping for my gran when she was ill.
See also: good, Samaritan

good Samaritan

A compassionate person who unselfishly helps others, as in In this neighborhood you can't count on a good Samaritan if you get in trouble. This expression alludes to Jesus's parable about a Samaritan who rescues and cares for a stranger who had been robbed and badly hurt and had been ignored by a priest and a Levite (Luke 10:30-35). The Samaritans were considered a heretical group by other Jews, so by using a Samaritan for the parable, Jesus chose a person whom his listeners would find least likely to be worthy of concern. [c. 1600]
See also: good, Samaritan

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Tristan[tri'stən]
JindŘIch-Czech
WillyWIL-ee (English), VI-lee (German), WIL-lee (Dutch), VIL-lee (Dutch)English, German, Dutch
Sibyllazi-BUY-lah (German)Greek, German, Swedish, Late Roman, Late Greek
Aminah (2)-Arabic
Basant-Indian, Hindi