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.

Better home charging can be especially helpful if you live somewhere with especially cold winters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Beke Lubeach is certain that TV for dogs is helpful.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

“It’s still helpful, but we are talking very small stakes compared to the scale of the crisis and the need.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 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

All his troubles had been caused by trying to be helpful to Penelope, and now she would never even get to say, “Thank you” to dear, kind, perfectly nice Simon.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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