← Back to Fala2Me

nominal help

[/ˈnɒmɪnəl hɛlp/]
noun phrasepl: nominal helps
ajuda nominal
1. assistance or support that is minimal, superficial, or exists in name only without providing substantial benefit
The government offered only nominal help to the disaster victims.
O governo ofereceu apenas ajuda nominal às vítimas do desastre.
2. help that is acknowledged or recognized formally but lacks practical effectiveness
His contribution was nominal help at best; he didn't actually solve any problems.
Sua contribuição foi no máximo ajuda nominal; ele não resolveu nenhum problema real.
NYC Slang
all talk, no action help
Synonyms
token helpsuperficial assistanceminimal aidlip servicehollow support
Antonyms
substantial helpgenuine assistancemeaningful supportreal aideffective help

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ajuda nominal
standard usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
ajuda de boca
colloquial expression meaning help that is only talked about
São Paulo
ajuda nominal
formal business and administrative contexts
Portugal
ajuda nominal
standard European Portuguese usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

help in name only
window dressing assistance
mere gesture of help
paper help
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →