volunteer

[vol-uhn-teer] / ˌvɒl ənˈtɪər /

VERB

offer to do something

Synonyms

STRONGEST

come forward enlist sign up step forward suggest

STRONG

advance present proffer propose tender

WEAK

bring forward chip in do on one's own volition go in let oneself in for offer services put at one's disposal put forward speak up stand up submit oneself take bull by the horns take initiative take the plunge take upon oneself

Antonyms

STRONG

take back

WEAK

compel force obligate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Bicycles are vehicles,” volunteer Kalayaan Mendoza advised one new owner.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The country's main unions argue that no employee is truly free to volunteer when they are seeking to keep a work contract.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

A former volunteer with the Bus Riders Union, she’s also an advocate for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Elsewhere on Thursday, angry protesters jeered and heckled Sir Keir Starmer when he visited Golders Green to meet Jewish volunteer organisations and first responders on Thursday.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Created in the nineteenth century as a volunteer citizen militia to fight American Indians on the frontier and, later, Mexicans along the border, the Rangers had evolved into a kind of state police force.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

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