useful

adjective

ˈyüs-fəl How to pronounce useful (audio)
Definition of usefulnext
1
as in applicable
capable of being put to use or account useful suggestions for limiting the amount of food we eat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in available
capable of or suitable for being used for a particular purpose I've found this tool really useful for making sure all my pictures are hung straight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in helpful
providing service or assistance hopefully, the consultant's financial advice will prove useful in planning for our retirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of useful Broad-spectrum antiseptic rinses do not distinguish between the useful bacteria and the problematic ones. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026 The Answer Depends On Multi-Hop Relationships The first sign is that an application can no longer produce a useful answer by finding one direct connection. — Nada Usina, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Still, the most useful lesson for you comes back to the security basics. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Kalshi and Polymarket have argued that trading the future provides a useful social function and isn’t really gambling at all. — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for useful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useful
  1. applicable
  2. available
  3. helpful
  4. practical
  5. functional
  6. beneficial
  7. applied
  8. operable
Adjective
  • The court's conservative majority has, in multiple cases, ruled in favor of religious exemptions from generally applicable laws.
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The taxation of payments depends on the trust’s income and the applicable ordering rules, so the payments should not automatically be considered tax-free.
    — D. Scott Kenik, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of applicable
Adjective
  • The Me+Em x The Booker Prizes reading lists will be available to buy from BookKind, an online bookshop that donates 10 percent of every order value to its charity partners, which include the Booker Prize Foundation.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Dining in the lounge is available all day to cater to international hunger pangs that don’t follow the same schedule as those of Spaniards.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of available
Adjective
  • Seek out additional resources Looking into additional resources such as food banks, SNAP or hardship help programs in your area can be helpful, Rathner said.
    — Adriana Morga, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Much of the staff has worked here for years; everyone who helped us was remarkably knowledgeable and helpful.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of helpful
Adjective
  • One practical investment of time, money, or effort can give a larger idea somewhere real to begin.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Advances in electrical power systems, tracking technology, beam control and compact high-energy lasers are making the concept increasingly practical.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of practical
Adjective
  • If something goes wrong, functional self-closing doors can be the difference between a scare and a disaster.
    — Lillian Bonsignore, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Regular sessions – led by cross-functional AI task forces or AI champions – can also help knowledge workers keep up with rapidly evolving AI tools.
    — Monideepa Tarafdar, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of functional
Adjective
  • Put Hill’s connection with the Chiefs aside from a moment and even still the signing would be beneficial for a team that still has Super Bowl aspirations.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Most high risk drugs have a narrow range of a beneficial dose, and concentrations beyond this can cause significant harm to the patient.
    — Esha Desai, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of beneficial
Adjective
  • Its analysis found that 74% of those mentions were tied to real-world projects rather than coursework, an indication students are trying to demonstrate their applied experience.
    — Corynn Winston, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • By combining aluminum’s low weight with a pre-applied coating, the company is targeting a way to make battery components easier to manufacture while meeting durability and insulation requirements.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of applied
Adjective
  • Crucially, however, there's an egress window in here, so it can also be used as a guest sleeping area (operable windows are required for tiny house loft bedrooms in most areas).
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But construction has been confined to the Central Valley and nowhere is the line operable.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of operable

Browse Nearby Words

used up
useful
usefulness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Useful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useful. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All