First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1avail
verb \ə-ˈvāl\
: to be useful or helpful to (someone or something)
Full Definition of AVAIL
intransitive verb
transitive verb
: to produce or result in as a benefit or advantage : gain <his efforts availed him nothing>
— avail oneself of also avail of
: to make use of : take advantage of <they availed themselves of his services>
See avail defined for English-language learners
See avail defined for kids
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Examples of AVAIL
- In such a Hobbesian world, grand idealistic designs will avail the United States nothing. Nor will a quest for American dominance in the name of the good. —Laura Secor, New York Times Book Review, 26 June 2005
- Soon middle-class girls were slipping into their starched white shirtwaists, marching into a place of business … and eventually standing up as private secretaries, bank tellers, accountants, and managers. So many, in fact, availed themselves of this new opportunity that by 1900 nearly 75 percent of all clerical workers in America were women (Bliven puts the number, in 1888, at 60,000); and for decades the typist and her machine were both called “typewriters.” —Arthur Krystal, Harper's, December 2002
- One comes away from the book stunned by the remarkable energy and willingness to resist that so many demonstrated but haunted by the recognition of how little that resistance availed. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2002
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Origin of AVAIL
Middle English, Anglo-French availler, probably from a- (from Latin ad-) + valer, valoir to be of worth, from Latin valēre — more at wield
Rhymes with AVAIL
abseil, airmail, all hail, assail, bake sale, bangtail, blackmail, blacktail, bobtail, broadscale, broadtail, bucktail, bud scale, canaille, cattail, chain mail, coattail, cocktail, contrail, curtail, derail, detail, doornail, dovetail, downscale, ducktail, e-mail, entail, exhale, fan mail, fantail, female, fife rail, fire sale, fishtail, folktale, foresail, foxtail, fresh gale, full-scale, gapped scale, Glendale, gray scale, greenmail, guardrail, Hallel, handrail, hangnail, headsail, hightail, hobnail, horntail, horsetail, impale, inhale, junk mail, Longueuil, lugsail, mainsail, mare's tail, Mondale, moon snail, oxtail, pass-fail, percale, pigtail, pintail, pinwale, plate rail, pot ale, prevail, rattail, regale, resale, rescale, retail, right whale, ringtail, Sangreal, Scottsdale, sea kale, shavetail, shirttail, skysail, slop pail, small-scale, snail mail, soft hail, split rail, springtail, spritsail, square sail, staysail, strong gale, surveil, swordtail, taffrail, tag sale, telltale, third rail, thumbnail, timescale, toenail, topsail, travail, trysail, unnail, unveil, upscale, ventail, voice mail, wage scale, wagtail, wassail, whiptail, white sale, whitetail, white whale, whole gale, wholesale, yard sale
2avail
noun \ə-ˈvāl\
: help toward reaching a goal
Full Definition of AVAIL
See avail defined for English-language learners
Examples of AVAIL
- It seemed to be the national dish, as it appeared on every menu. It is a spicy pork or veal stew with tomatoes and onions and a little sour cream on top. It was fabulous, and I'm dying to get the recipe. I've spent hours looking for it on the internet to no avail. —Linda Walker, Cook's Country, June 1995
- In the 14th century the porcelain from China made its way westward along trade routes to Europe's rich and royal. The artisans of Europe tried to duplicate the Chinese formula and process, but to no avail. —Hattie Clark, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 1987
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Origin of AVAIL
(see 1avail)
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to AVAIL
- Synonyms
- account, use, mileage, service, serviceability, serviceableness, usefulness, utility
- Antonyms
- uselessness, worthlessness
AVAIL Defined for Kids
1avail
verb \ə-ˈvāl\
availedavail·ing
Definition of AVAIL for Kids
1
: to be of use or help
2
: to make use of <Many employees availed themselves of the free health services.>
2avail
noun
Definition of AVAIL for Kids
: help toward reaching a goal : use <Our work was of little avail.>
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