Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

useful

[yoos-fuhl] / ˈyus fəl /
ADJECTIVE
beneficial, valuable
Synonyms
STRONGEST
advantageous appropriate convenient effective favorable fruitful good handy helpful practical pragmatic profitable proper suitable
STRONG
utile
WEAK
all-purpose applied brave commodious fit functional instrumental meet of assistance of service of use practicable propitious purposive salutary serviceable subsidiary suited toward
Antonyms
STRONGEST
awkward bad disadvantageous disagreeable harmful hurtful impotent improper inappropriate incapable inconvenient injurious misbehaving unacceptable unfitting unhandy unhelpful unproductive unskilled unsuitable unsuited useless worthless
WEAK
unusable unvaluable

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.

All of which is to say: it’s very useful when you’re trying to pull dinner together without overthinking it.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

Timeshares offer a useful litmus test of merely well-off Americans’ confidence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

He also had a photographic memory, which came in very useful for his later detective work around the thefts.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Industry watchers say African crude purchases were made before the United States struck Iran and have proven to be useful.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

As they had been taught to do by their governess, they used their very best socially useful phrases.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood