helpful

[ help-fuhl ]
See synonyms for: helpfulhelpfullyhelpfulness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. giving or rendering aid or assistance; of service: Your comments were very helpful.

Origin of helpful

1
First recorded in 1300–50; help + -ful

Other words for helpful

Opposites for helpful

Other words from helpful

  • help·ful·ly, adverb
  • help·ful·ness, noun
  • o·ver·help·ful, adjective
  • o·ver·help·ful·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·help·ful·ness, noun
  • quasi-helpful, adjective
  • qua·si-help·ful·ly, adverb
  • un·help·ful, adjective
  • un·help·ful·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use helpful in a sentence

  • The helpfulness of the Dutch points to one of the darkest statistics of the war.

    Anne Frank’s Amsterdam | Russell Shorto | October 12, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Some people radiate sympathy and helpfulness and inspiration.

  • Their spirit of mutual helpfulness saved them from padrone, "banker," and Black Hand.

    The Old World in the New | Edward Alsworth Ross
  • The spirit of helpfulness and curiosity to know what had happened set wings on the heels of the little community.

    The Landloper | Holman Day
  • But, with sailor's fraternal spirit of helpfulness he sat down and went into the details of all the Montana's few whims.

    Blow The Man Down | Holman Day
  • The greed for gold which grasps and over-reaches, becomes ashamed, or changes to neighborly helpfulness.

    Sevenoaks | J. G. Holland

British Dictionary definitions for helpful

helpful

/ (ˈhɛlpfʊl) /


adjective
  1. serving a useful function; giving help

Derived forms of helpful

  • helpfully, adverb
  • helpfulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012