English Dictionary
Definition of “avail”
avail (əˈveɪl
)
Definitions
noun
- use or advantage (esp in the phrases of no avail, to little avail)
Alternative Forms
aˈvailingly adverb Word Origin
C13 availen, from vailen, from Old French valoir, from Latin valēre to be strong, prevail
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
benefit,
use,
help,
good,
service,
aid,
profit,
advantage,
purpose,
assistance,
utility,
effectiveness,
mileage,
usefulness,
efficacy,
boot,
Usage examples
When she began to misbehave I felt quite entitled to avail myself of her fortune.
Fidelis Morgan, THE RIVAL QUEENS: A Countess Ashby de la Zouche Mystery (2002)NRIs can avail the service through the net, ATMs, telephone, or through Citibank NRI centres located around the world.
Business Today (2001)They repeatedly flashed their cruiser's headlights and honked their horn to no avail.
Ottawa Sun (2003)Bolton manager Sam Allardyce searched for a replacement, fearing the Finn would not be fit for the Premiership kick-off -to no avail.
Sun, News of the World (2001)Sheer willpower, native wit, and raw greed were no longer of much avail without high levels of intellect and expertise.
Peregrine Worsthorne, IN DEFENCE OF ARISTOCRACY (2004)
