avail

[ uh-veyl ]
/ əˈveɪl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR avail ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to be of use or value to; profit; advantage: All our efforts availed us little in trying to effect a change.

verb (used without object)

to be of use; have force or efficacy; serve; help: His strength did not avail against the hostile onslaught.
to be of value or profit.

noun

advantage; use; efficacy; effective use in the achievement of a goal or objective: His belated help will be of little or no avail.
avails, Archaic. profits or proceeds.

Idioms for avail

    avail oneself of, to use to one's advantage: They availed themselves of the opportunity to hear a free concert.

Origin of avail

1250–1300; Middle English availe, equivalent to a- a-2 + vaile < Old French vail- (stem of valoir) < Latin valēre to be of worth

OTHER WORDS FROM avail

a·vail·ing·ly, adverb un·a·vailed, adjective

Words nearby avail

av, av node, av., ava, avadavat, avail, avail oneself of, available, available light, avalanche, avalanche lily

Words related to avail oneself of

handle, control, practice, adopt, run, work, wield, utilize, accept, employ, exploit, manage, apply, operate, spend, manipulate, appropriate, promote, exhaust, expend

British Dictionary definitions for avail oneself of

avail
/ (əˈveɪl) /

verb

to be of use, advantage, profit, or assistance (to)
avail oneself of to make use of to one's advantage

noun

use or advantage (esp in the phrases of no avail, to little avail)

Derived forms of avail

availingly, adverb

Word Origin for avail

C13 availen, from vailen, from Old French valoir, from Latin valēre to be strong, prevail

Idioms and Phrases with avail oneself of (1 of 2)

avail oneself of
1

Take advantage of, benefit by. For example, To get a better mortgage, he availed himself of the employee credit union. [Late 1500s]

2

Use, employ, as in I'll avail myself of the first cab to come along. [Mid-1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with avail oneself of (2 of 2)

avail