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
-
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 misinterpretation rankled Wood, who, to little avail, presented his evidence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
But the letters included allegations alone, no evidence or data verifying DHS’s claims, which Weber said she flagged and asked to see, to no avail.
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026
But even if they did decide to avail of Medicaid for outpatient care or nursing home care, they should not assume that Medicaid will be available on whatever terms they expect.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
So far, it has been to no avail.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
We protested against this restriction, but to no avail.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The older crowd mostly avails themselves of the first and not the second.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
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
Shaun Grant’s script rarely, if ever, avails itself of such riches; instead, the narration and dialogue teem with outlaw-movie clichés.
From New York Times ● Apr. 23, 2020
Molly avails herself of all modern babyproofing technology in an uphill effort to keep Max alive and un-maimed.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 21, 2018
In the face of the decrees of Providence, nothing avails but resignation.
From The Sufistic Quatrains of Omar Khayyam by Omar Khayyam
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
Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki told Parliament’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security that “unless all resources are mobilized and availed, our troops will not leave the country.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 9, 2023
They entered all the contests, availed themselves of all the discounts that were advertised and had, on two occasions, won a T-shirt and a thermos flask that Baby Kochamma kept locked away in her cupboard.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
Still, Levinson said, Siebel Newsom’s availing herself of the public forum did not mean she had violated the law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
An interesting gauntlet was thrown down this week when the parent of Fox News agreed to acquire Roku, availing itself of a post-cable platform to compete for news dominance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
"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
When next visiting London, Mr. Rock will feel himself highly honoured by availing himself of Miss Flower's much-esteemed invitation.
From Second String by Anthony Hope
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
