avail
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to be of use; have force or efficacy; serve; help.
His strength did not avail against the hostile onslaught.
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to be of value or profit.
noun
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advantage; use; efficacy; effective use in the achievement of a goal or objective.
His belated help will be of little or no avail.
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Archaic. avails, profits or proceeds.
idioms
verb
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to be of use, advantage, profit, or assistance (to)
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to make use of to one's advantage
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have availedperfect
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has availedperfect 3rd person singular
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is availingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am availingprogressive 1st person singular
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are availingprogressive
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have been availingperfect progressive
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availssingular 3rd person
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availingparticiple
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has been availingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had availedperfect
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were availingprogressive plural
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availedsimple
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availedparticiple
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had been availingperfect progressive
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was availingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of avail
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English availe, from a- a- 2 + Old French vail-, noun stem of valoir “to be worth,” from Latin valēre “to be strong, be well, be of worth”
Explanation
To avail means to take advantage of an opportunity, the way you'd be crazy not to avail yourself of a chocolate milkshake on Free Milkshake Day at your local ice cream parlor. Sometimes avail is used to mean "help," and in that case it can be used in a sentence like "Nothing seemed to avail me, not even winning the lottery." More often though, avail shows up in the company of "oneself of," as in the sentence, "I hope you avail yourself of my advice, because I'm very wise." It might seem like a complicated way to use a verb, but it's one you should avail yourself of if you're hoping to impress someone.
Vocabulary lists containing avail
Grade 12, List 1
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"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" by Frederick Douglass
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"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards
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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.
Her government has favored dialogue with the protesting teachers, but to no avail.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Sheriff’s personnel responded to the scene at 3 p.m. and used deescalation tactics to try to coax the suspect from the car for several hours to no avail.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
The women said they tried to raise awareness and have the factory investigated by petitioning politicians and holding lawful protests, but to no avail.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
Stars like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and teenage wonder Macklin Celebrini repeatedly barraged the zone, to no avail.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026
She called her with her mind and consulted her tarot cards, but it was all to no avail.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
