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

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 Functionality: With its constant f/2.8 aperture and 16mm wide-angle setting, this is a useful lens for astrophotography among many other subjects. James Abbott, Space.com, 23 May 2025 See the Glossary of Spelling Bee Terms and our Tips and Tricks for more useful information on Spelling Bee. New York Times Games, New York Times, 22 May 2025 Earlier Claude models typically lasted only one to two hours before losing coherence, Albert said, meaning that the models could only produce useful self-referencing outputs for that long before beginning to output too many errors. ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025 The original system has evolved significantly since its introduction, with specialized needles now available including the Fast Pour, which is especially useful at restaurants, and Vintage needles designed for older corks. Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for useful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useful
Adjective
  • While the first sale rule is broadly applicable across products and industries, it is considered particularly useful in higher-value consumer goods and luxury products, where margins are greater.
    Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 26 May 2025
  • The average cost of a fast food meal includes applicable state and local sales taxes based on the restaurants' locations.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • According to a report published by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) last year, total spend in the sector generated a total $421 billion and $119 billion in tax revenue in 2022, the most recent year in which full data was available.
    Jenni Reid, CNBC, 1 June 2025
  • The film will be available on several digital platforms including Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Microsoft, Movies Anywhere, Prime Video and YouTube.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Adjective
  • This feature can be extremely helpful in extending insights use cases and getting stakeholders to embrace research as part of their business.
    Erin Tavgac, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • The following are generally considered some of the least helpful foods for Crohn's disease.
    Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Besides, for Australia and Japan in particular, the practical differences between today’s defense partnership and one of mutual defense are relatively small and shrinking by the day.
    ELY RATNER, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
  • The document provides simple, practical directions for maintaining health.
    Time, Time, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • As a global lifestyle architect, Crocs will continue to lead the next evolutionary cycle of clogs and casual footwear at the intersection of functional comfort with cultural expression.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 23 May 2025
  • Their findings, recently published in Science Translational Medicine, suggest that the spleen could be key to growing new, functional tissues within the body.
    Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • In addition to a bounty of vegetables, fruits, flowers and interactive learning activities, there to meet them were cavorting goats, buzzing bees, beneficial garden creatures such as pill bugs and worms, and Howie the miniature Scottish Highland Cross steer who loves attention and animal crackers.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
  • One key difference: Foreign financial assets that must be reported on the Form 8938 are only those assets in which the person has a beneficial ownership interest.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Jain: That’s a powerful example of applied storytelling.
    Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
  • Bracket Calculating the likelihood of a perfect bracket is an exercise in applied probability.
    Giovanni Malloy, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Also, in many developing countries, operable blindness is still far too common.
    Moby Kazmi, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • By the time the fire started in early January, the Pacific Palisades Reservoir remained out of service and the Santa Ynez Reservoir was still two months away from being operable.
    Mike Baker, New York Times, 3 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Useful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useful. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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