Definition of usefulnext
1
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

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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 That durability test — putting hair up in a clip, then shaking it out and finding curls still intact — is the kind of real-world detail that separates a genuinely useful product from one that only performs under ideal conditions. Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026 Research in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology shows that substantial weight gain during exercise is the most useful predictor. Brad Stulberg, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026 Cheap, ubiquitous and always on, cameras are uniquely useful targets. Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026 But the early days of the AI financial era are already delivering unprecedented access to a new array of useful financial tools. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for useful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useful
Adjective
  • Garden admission is applicable for nonmembers.
    Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Stanford School of Medicine prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • April itself may feel too full for an extended escape, but don't overlook what's available close by.
    Kirah Tabourn, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
  • An update for that spot was not immediately available Friday.
    Jenna Thompson March 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Xbox's most helpful features, such as Quick Resume, will work as expected when games are launched from the card.
    George Yang, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The program with the Riverside University Health Systems partners a detective with a licensed social worker, something that Detective Albert Martinez has found immensely helpful.
    Zach Boetto, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Your big vision is about to meet a practical checkpoint.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • His practical advice fares better than both his theories and his pallid attempts at profundity.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Soft pastel shades—think mint, or light pink—adorn the walls, and there are rain showers in the simple-yet-functional bathrooms.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The wearable design itself is kept simple and functional.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Shih noted that states' plans to add more outpatient care could prove beneficial for patients.
    Aaron Bolton, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Lewis Smith said that funding was particularly beneficial for establishing AMP programs at sites that completely lacked music equipment.
    Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Efforts to enable reversible, two-way actuation have led to the development of systems such as semi-crystalline networks and liquid crystalline elastomers, which depend on structural alignment under applied stress.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Scott received her master's in leadership from Belhaven University and has a bachelor's in applied psychology from Christian Brothers University.
    Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The facility’s dish machines were not fully operable.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Smoke alarms should also be checked and operable, the FDNY said.
    Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Useful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useful. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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