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.

A helpful map of the globe points out notoriously treacherous waters, including those off the southern tip of South America, where countless sailors have perished in the turbulent seas around Cape Horn.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

On one hand, the automatic demand is helpful.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

And being at a festival and being in this fishbowl environment is really helpful for that.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

"Early detection was very helpful and I am so grateful to be able to say that I am well today," she added in the film's promotional material.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

“I believe him. In fact, I believe he could be the most helpful person in Sassafras Springs. The loom told me so.”

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Vocabulary lists containing helpful

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