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.

Especially helpful are Ms. Jensen’s meticulous, well-illustrated instructions for mixing, folding and shaping the dough.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

On one hand, the automatic demand is helpful.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

A 2024 Frontiers in Immunology review emphasized that senescence can play a helpful role during normal wound repair, but persistent senescent cells may contribute to chronic wounds, fibrosis, and abnormal healing.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

You’ve talked about how helpful medication was for you.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Even though it is annoying how many instructions Guardian gives, she turns out to be very helpful in leading me to a spot that will be good for Fly’s first flight.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Vocabulary lists containing helpful

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