avail
Americanverb (used with object)
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avails,
present (3rd person singular)
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availed,
past participle, past
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availing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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avails,
present (3rd person singular)
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availed,
past participle, past
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availing
present participle
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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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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availsimple
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availssimple
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have availedperfect
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has availedperfect
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am availingprogressive
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are availingprogressive
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is availingprogressive
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have been availingperfect progressive
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has been availingperfect progressive
Past
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availedsimple
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had availedperfect
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was availingprogressive
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were availingprogressive
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had been availingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
The optimist in me loves the idea that a food bank provides financial education, even if it was a prerequisite to avail of its services.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026
“One time I thought I had a helicopter in my driveway,” said Nancy Monzidelis, a longtime Larchmont resident who has contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to no avail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Diplomatic efforts, spearheaded by mediators including Pakistan and Qatar, have tried for months to bring an end to the war to no avail.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
Palace have attempted to renew Mateta's contract over the past the 12 months but to no avail.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The biggest score would’ve been the computer systems, but Alec had tried that route to no avail.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
The stars have chemistry and charisma; the series avails itself of an impressive cast of guest stars and delectable Italian shooting locations.
From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2024
Bryan Cranston’s movie career avails him of some variety, but on Showtime’s “Your Honor” he plays another version of a good man pushed to commit evil for the sake of protecting his family.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2024
“A Love Song” avails itself of Dickey’s usual strengths, even as it vaults her, in a belated but entirely welcome development, from sterling supporting player to luminous lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2022
“The board avails itself of different sets of independent expertise,” he said.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 10, 2021
"What avails it?" said Martin, sadly; "if we get clear of the wood we shall die cheap; here, hard by, I know a place where we may die dear."
From The Cloister and the Hearth A Tale of the Middle Ages by Charles Reade
As a bonus, I’d learn a few things while she availed herself of uninterrupted free time, which wasn’t really free, since I’d often hear a running vacuum or dishes clanking in the sink.
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2026
In doing so, Adams also availed himself of millions of dollars in public matching funds.
From Slate ● Jan. 25, 2025
Yet they hardly availed themselves of the city’s busy night life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2024
They added that no team had availed themselves of either the mechanism that exists to lodge a formal complaint about a competitor, nor had the anonymous whistle-blower process been activated.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2023
“What option have I, my son? Naturally, I protested, but it has availed me nothing.”
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
For now, companies are availing themselves of the latest spike in crude prices to lock in a price for their output, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
With Newsom termed out and a rare open-seat race for governor availing itself, Bonta suggested it would have been political malpractice not to consider running.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025
"This time frame represents a broad enough range to demonstrate climate change, while also availing of the most recent reliable data that covers both the climate change and extremism dimensions for the country."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 3, 2024
For 20 years, Thomas benefited from Huizenga's attention as well, availing himself of the billionaire's fleet of aircraft and other luxuries.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2023
Wielding such influence in the religious field, he easily convinced others of the necessity for availing themselves of his services in another line.
From The History of the Negro Church by Carter Godwin Woodson
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.
