What does "avail" mean?
Effect in achieving a goal or aim; purpose, use (now usually in negative constructions).
Avail
/əˈveɪl/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Effect in achieving a goal or aim; purpose, use (now usually in negative constructions).
- Grammar: avail is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: help, abet, account, advance.
- Useful contrasts: forgo, futility, ignore.
- Usage evidence: You had better avail yourself of this opportunity.
How to use "avail"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "avail" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "avail" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "avail" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "avail" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "avail" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "help" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "avail", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Effect in achieving a goal or aim; purpose, use (now usually in negative constructions). countable, uncountable
"I tried fixing it to no avail."
- 2 a means of serving wordnet
- 3 Proceeds; profits from business transactions. US, countable, uncountable
"the avails of their own industry"
- 4 An advertising slot or package. countable, uncountable
"The salesperson at an affiliate TV station might prepare an avail which offers two weeks of spots in early and late news[…]."
- 5 A press avail. US, countable, uncountable
"While holding an avail yesterday, the candidate lashed out at critics."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Non-binding notice of availability for work. British, countable, uncountable
- 7 A readily available stock of oil. countable, uncountable
"Total crude oil avails (production plus purchases) of even highly "self-sufficient" refiners are far greater than their reported refinery inputs."
- 8 Benefit; value, profit; advantage toward success. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"I shal take the aduenture sayd Balen that god wille ordeyne me / but the swerd ye shalle not haue at this tyme by the feythe of my body / ye shalle repente hit within short tyme sayd the damoysel/ For I wold haue the swerd more for your auaylle than for myne / for I am passyng heuy for your sake"
- 9 Effort; striving. countable, obsolete, poetic, uncountable
"And ev'n now, though he breathless lies, his sails / Are struggling with the winds, for our avails / T'explore a passage hid from human tract, / Will fame him in the enterprise or fact."
Verb
- 1 To turn to the advantage of. often, reflexive, transitive
"I availed myself of the opportunity."
- 2 take advantage of wordnet
- 3 To be of service to. transitive
"Artifices will not avail the sinner in the day of judgment."
- 4 take or use wordnet
- 5 To promote; to assist. transitive
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 be of use to, be useful to wordnet
- 7 To be of use or advantage; to answer or serve the purpose; to have strength, force, or efficacy sufficient to accomplish the object. intransitive
"The plea in court must avail."
- 8 To provide; to make available. Africa, India
"With this initiative, Valucard becomes an open system that is not limited to point of sale (POS) transactions, but now avails cash to its holders in various locations nationwide."
- 9 To use or take advantage of (an opportunity or resource). Africa, India
"You can avail discounts on food."
Adjective
- 1 Clipping of available. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial
"In another incident, Henry allegedly sent Areu a video titled "Fastest interview" in which a woman flashes her vagina to a man during a job interview and then immediately receives a job offer. Henry allegedly followed up the video by texting Areu, "Are you avail for anchor interview.""
Antonyms
Example
"You had better avail yourself of this opportunity."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "avail"?
Common synonyms include: help, abet, account, advance, advantage, aid.
How do you use "avail" in a sentence?
You had better avail yourself of this opportunity.
How do you pronounce "avail"?
Pronounced /əˈveɪl/.
Etymology
From Middle English availen (“to be of use”), from Old French a (“to”) + vail from valoir (“to be worth”), from Latin valere (“to be worthy, strong”).