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
This effort to create a more practically useful, health-conscious AI platform comes as the debate over harms from other bots continues to intensify.
—
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2025
The report touted various incidents where the programs have been useful, such as a sheriff’s office responding to online threats of mass violence and charging an individual, a neo-Nazi being encouraged to access mental health services and a hospital referring a troubled student to a support clinic.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
While these reflections offer some useful context to Carroll, this circuitous plotting is distracting.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2025
In Goldberg’s view, the practical route to better robots is not a data deluge all at once, but iteratively earned data from systems that already do something useful.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for useful
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2025
The report touted various incidents where the programs have been useful, such as a sheriff’s office responding to online threats of mass violence and charging an individual, a neo-Nazi being encouraged to access mental health services and a hospital referring a troubled student to a support clinic.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
While these reflections offer some useful context to Carroll, this circuitous plotting is distracting.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2025
In Goldberg’s view, the practical route to better robots is not a data deluge all at once, but iteratively earned data from systems that already do something useful.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for useful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useful
Adjective
-
Breakups are not universally applicable.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The findings may also not be fully applicable to the broader public, given that all study participants were older European adults.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Night aircraft is available for use if needed and if conditions permit.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Tennessean's Student of the Week is all about helpful upperclassmen this week.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
Nashville Tennessean,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Granovetter found that a person’s casual or loose connections (weak ties) are more helpful than their strong ties.—
Carmine Gallo,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Their next goal is to turn the system into a practical tool for early fire detection.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The result is a service that understands the practical needs of businesses and individuals while also recognizing that behind every booking there is a story, a purpose, or a challenge that deserves attention.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The boxy fit will easily layer without feeling too bulky, and the front is fitted with functional pockets for my phone, headphones, and even some extra snacks.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Sep. 2025
-
For vehicles with more than 9,000 miles, dealers are to perform a functional check on the body control module and replace it if necessary.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Much of the discrepancy here is likely tied more to sleep than to something inherently beneficial about getting up at the crack of dawn.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
4 Sep. 2025
-
That’s what enables The Foundation Drops to be so beneficial to the skin.—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This approach gives immediate context for applied intelligence and, when implemented correctly, avoids the static and siloed data environments that hinder customer experience initiatives.—
Bill Waid,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Among them were Shawn Ligocki and his father, Terry, an applied mathematician who ran their search program in the off hours on powerful computers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Approved by voters hoodwinked by false cost estimates, the project was supposed to be operable by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Its first operable segment in the Central Valley— a 172-mile stretch between Merced and Bakersfield slated to open in 2033 — is far from the original vision and the $14 billion needed to close the funding gap by June 2026 remains elusive.—
Tina Li,
Sacbee.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Useful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useful. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share