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
- avail oneself of, to use to one’s advantage: They availed themselves of the opportunity to hear a free concert.
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)
v.c.1300, availen, apparently a French compound formed in English from Old French a- “to” (see ad-) + vailen “to avail,” from vaill-, present stem of valoir “be worth,” from Latin valere (see valiant). Related: Availed; availing. As a noun, from c.1400. In addition to the idiom beginning with avail
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