helpful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate says he turned down work as a pundit at the World Cup because he did not think it would be "helpful" to the side's chances.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
Still, the model certainly seems to be a more helpful way of thinking about bitcoin than competing models — some of which have predicted bitcoin would reach $1 million.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Existing knowledge is usually helpful, but it can sometimes encourage the wrong conclusion.
From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026
“I think sometimes it’s helpful just having somebody who’s there to hold your hand,” she says of her friend Liou.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Betsy didn’t really need any more helpful hints.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
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.
