avail 1 of 2

noun

Definition of availnext
as in use
the capacity for being useful for some purpose although I appreciate the concern, your help would be of little avail in this situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

avail

2 of 2

verb

ə-ˈvāl How to pronounce avail (audio)
as in to benefit
to provide with something useful or desirable all your begging will not avail you in the least

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of avail
Noun
The conductor, who had spotted de la Rosa ahead and sounded a warning horn to no avail, called for emergency services, but the illustrator was pronounced dead at the scene. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026 For Sabonis, there have been trade discussions with the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors to no avail. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026
Verb
Born on a farm in Maine, and instructed in local flora by an aunt, Butler availed herself of science classes at the University of Minnesota and went on to become a renowned phycologist. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026 The Roman writers Celsus and Pliny the Elder attest to these beliefs; people lined up to avail themselves of bodily elixirs. — Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for avail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avail
  1. use
  2. benefit
  3. usefulness
Noun
  • Davis shared her thoughts alongside a side-by-side comparison of the costume with 19th-century minstrel imagery, which perpetuated racist stereotypes about Black Americans and involved the use of blackface.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But experts on the use of artificial intelligence in combat say that line already has been crossed.
    — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of use
Verb
  • On Tuesday local time, the US semiconductor sector faced a sharp sell-off, with chip and memory stocks that had previously benefited heavily from the AI surge leading the declines and pulling the broader market down.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • So competition did not fail; utilities benefit too much from the status quo.
    — Joshua Macey, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of benefit
Noun
  • Advertisement McKleroy, meanwhile, likes to over-research, add more information, and complicate projects past the point of usefulness.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Because the watermark degrades with more thorough editing or in shorter samples of text, its usefulness may also be uneven depending on the department or assignment.
    — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of usefulness

Phrases Containing avail

Browse Nearby Words

auxiliary
avail
availability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Avail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avail. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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