helpful

[help-fuhl]

adjective

1. giving or rendering aid or assistance; of service.

   Your comments were very helpful.

   Synonyms: advantageous, beneficial, convenient, useful
   Antonyms: inconvenient, useless

helpful

/ ˈhɛlpfʊl /

adjective

1. serving a useful function; giving help

Other Word Forms

• helpfully adverb
• helpfulness noun
• overhelpful adjective
• overhelpfully adverb
• overhelpfulness noun
• quasi-helpful adjective
• quasi-helpfully adverb
• unhelpful adjective
• unhelpfully adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of helpful¹

First recorded in 1300–50; help + -ful

Example Sentences

I don’t often write just about the good, but in these strange days, it’s helpful to have a reminder that the fight is always worth having when it comes to protecting our rights.

From Los Angeles Times

The herbivores’ insatiable appetite for vegetation and weeds is particularly helpful in steep, hard-to-reach areas where machines are unable to clear brush.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Hastings said people often misinterpreted the actions of people with Tourette's and thought they were "aggressive or a monster", so to see a positive representation on the big screen felt "helpful".

From BBC

“It puts me in my place in a way that I find helpful,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

Barger agreed, saying that looking at the big picture issues will be most helpful.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accessible 
• advantageous 
• applicable 
• conducive 
• constructive 
• convenient 
• cooperative 
• crucial 
• essential 
• favorable 
• friendly 
• important 
• invaluable 
• practical 
• productive 
• profitable 
• significant 
• suitable 
• supportive 
• sympathetic