helpful

[help-fuhl] / ˈhɛlp fəl /

ADJECTIVE

beneficial, beneficent

Synonyms

STRONGEST

accessible advantageous applicable conducive constructive convenient cooperative crucial essential favorable friendly important invaluable practical productive profitable significant suitable supportive sympathetic timely useful valuable

WEAK

accommodating benevolent bettering caring considerate contributive effectual efficacious fortunate good for improving instrumental kind neighborly operative pragmatic serendipitous serviceable symbiotic usable utilitarian

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cold cool disagreeable hindering hurting inappropriate inessential injurious inopportune insignificant minor nonessential trivial unfavorable unfriendly unhelpful unimportant unsociable unsuitable useless worthless

WEAK

disadvantageous harmful hurtful unconstructive

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.

So, from Downing Street's point of view, it is rather helpful that the prime minister's deputy has a friend in the president's deputy.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“I know I’m pretty good at times, but you know, a bit of luck every now and then is helpful, too.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

She called the customer-support line, but they weren’t helpful.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

“This served as an early clue, and Tuesday night’s gap in U.S. equity futures on the two-week cease-fire agreement is thought to be particularly helpful for risk assets,” he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

SABIO, SHALE: I don’t think it’s helpful for us to worry about crime statistics, Mom.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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