avail

[ uh-veyl ]

/ əˈveɪl /

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See synonyms for: avail / availed / avails on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to be of use or value to; profit; advantage: All our efforts availed us little in trying to effect a change.

verb (used without object)

to be of use; have force or efficacy; serve; help: His strength did not avail against the hostile onslaught.

to be of value or profit.

noun

advantage; use; efficacy; effective use in the achievement of a goal or objective: His belated help will be of little or no avail.

avails, Archaic. profits or proceeds.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about avail

avail oneself of, to use to one's advantage: They availed themselves of the opportunity to hear a free concert.

Origin of avail

1250–1300; Middle English availe, equivalent to a-a-² + vaile<Old French vail- (stem of valoir) <Latin valēre to be of worth

OTHER WORDS FROM avail

a·vail·ing·ly, adverbun·a·vailed, adjective

Words nearby avail

auxotonic, auxotroph, Av, ava, avadavat, avail, availability, available, available light, avail oneself of, avalanche

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use avail in a sentence

Over the past month, Fuller reached out to several Nationals super fans on social media in search of the ticket, to no avail.
A Cubs fan needed one ticket to complete his epic collection. A Nats fan came through.|Scott Allen|December 26, 2020|Washington Post
I have tried to discuss this matter with him, but to no avail.
Miss Manners: Husband’s rude eating habits driving wife up the wall|Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked people not to travel for Thanksgiving, to avoid juicing infection rates, to little avail.
A Kraken is loose in America|Dan Zak|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
Several member states reportedly tried to swap the order of speakers to address the lack of women on Day 1, but to no avail.
The UN General Assembly is the ultimate ‘manel’|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 23, 2020|Fortune

What some politicians and activists had long sought to do to no avail — place working parents and their child care crisis on the center stage of American politics — the virus has done in a matter of months.
Why It Took So Long For Politicians To Treat The Child Care Crisis As A Crisis|Clare Malone (clare.malone@fivethirtyeight.com)|July 16, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
According to the friend, Brinsley rang his ex-girlfriend, an Air Force reservist named Shaneka Thompson, to no avail.
Alleged Cop Killer’s Blood-Soaked Screenplay|M.L. Nestel|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The left had long tried to resist it through a diverse mix of organizations, devoted to different goals, and all to no avail.
The Left’s Answer to ALEC|Ben Jacobs|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Women have been trying to wield Internet shame against men for years now to little avail.
Online Shaming Gives Creeps the Spotlight They Deserve|Samantha Allen|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Germany, sex workers get to avail themselves of the same social-welfare infrastructure as all other German workers.
Why It's Time to Legalize Prostitution|Cathy Reisenwitz|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This woke her husband, who questioned and tried to console her, to no avail.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death|Patricia Pearson|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But such refuge, he knew, could avail him nothing if the bear should scent him out and search for him.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
I would gladly avail myself of your offer, but the Residency will be invested in less than an hour.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Age and usage were to be of no avail in bringing this wretched piece of workmanship up to the standard of the average.
Antonio Stradivari|Horace William Petherick
Neither kisses, nor words of comfort, nor the promise to return soon, were of any avail.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
All these titles would avail but little were they not supported by immense riches.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

British Dictionary definitions for avail

avail

/ (əˈveɪl) /

verb

to be of use, advantage, profit, or assistance (to)

avail oneself of to make use of to one's advantage

noun

use or advantage (esp in the phrases of no avail, to little avail)

Derived forms of avail

availingly, adverb

Word Origin for avail

C13 availen, from vailen, from Old French valoir, from Latin valēre to be strong, prevail

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with avail

avail

In addition to the idiom beginning with avail

avail oneself of

also see:

to no avail

avail

Idioms about avail

Origin of avail

OTHER WORDS FROM avail

Words nearby avail

Words related to avail

How to use avail in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for avail

Derived forms of avail

Word Origin for avail

Other Idioms and Phrases with avail