helpful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of helpful
Explanation
If you are inclined to assist others in any situation, you are a helpful person. Your actions can also be called helpful, like your helpful habit of doing the dishes every night. If you want to be helpful, you find ways to make things easier for others, like holding the door for them. Things can also be helpful — maps, cell phones, dictionaries, and holders for wet umbrellas. Taking good notes and setting your alarm to go off early are helpful tips for days when you have big tests. A discussion is helpful if it teaches you something new or gives you ideas for doing something better.
Vocabulary lists containing helpful
Beowulf vocabulary
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 3
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Words to Describe a Teacher
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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.
I have no experience with investing, so any advice would be helpful.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
It's helpful to tell people in advance that you're not planning on drinking, particularly if it's new for you or if you're feeling apprehensive.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
She described McClain as the first to admit being wrong, always helpful with the cooking and asleep before his head touched the pillow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Getting that kind of assurance from the government is helpful at a time when Americans are wary of AI.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
“Not sure how I could do this without you,” he says, making me feel valuable, though at nine I’m barely big enough to be helpful.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
