avail
Americanverb (used with object)
-
avails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
availed,
past participle, past
-
availing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
avails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
availed,
past participle, past
-
availing
present participle
-
to be of use; have force or efficacy; serve; help.
His strength did not avail against the hostile onslaught.
-
to be of value or profit.
noun
-
advantage; use; efficacy; effective use in the achievement of a goal or objective.
His belated help will be of little or no avail.
-
Archaic. avails, profits or proceeds.
idioms
verb
-
to be of use, advantage, profit, or assistance (to)
-
to make use of to one's advantage
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
availsimple
-
availssimple
-
have availedperfect
-
has availedperfect
-
am availingprogressive
-
are availingprogressive
-
is availingprogressive
-
have been availingperfect progressive
-
has been availingperfect progressive
Past
-
availedsimple
-
had availedperfect
-
was availingprogressive
-
were availingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" by Frederick Douglass
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
So far, it has been to no avail.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
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
As an insurance director in Illinois in the early 1990s and in subsequent articles and papers, I stated similar concerns, but to no avail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Lyddie watched the hapless gentlemen heave and shove and sweat, all to no avail.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
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
Jean sometimes wears men’s clothes and avails herself of male privileges, taking Eliza on long walks down to the docks and into the surrounding woodlands.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 8, 2022
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
It’s an exquisite reminder of the wondrous things that can happen when a storyteller of boundless imagination avails himself of some rigorous discipline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2018
By reason we mean that phase of the mind which avails itself of past and present experience to predicate more or less accurately of possible experience in the future.
From Theological Essays by Charles Bradlaugh
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
The response did not specify how many people had availed of the counselling offered.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2023
“What option have I, my son? Naturally, I protested, but it has availed me nothing.”
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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
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
"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
No. Besides, why should he not take the Squire at his word and make the best of both worlds, and availing himself of the favor he had gained, employ the one to exploit the other?
From Ovington's Bank by Stanley J. Weyman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
