helpful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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.
As she was gathering her thoughts, Sen. Tim Scott jumped in to say: “I think it’d be helpful for us to talk about the issues of tomorrow and not yesterday.”
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Most care deeply about their avian companions and believe feeding them is helpful.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
"It also raises the question as to whether the helpful gains from more higher income shoppers migrating to Walmart are starting to fade," he wrote.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Venting can be helpful but only to a certain extent.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
“I know,” I said quickly, using my helpful voice.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
