helpful

help·ful
H4E1L1P3F4U1L1
/ˈhɛlp.fl̩/

adjective

Furnishing help; gives aid; useful.

“a helpful clue”

Similar
friendlyobligingaccommodatingadjuvantassistiveface-saving
Opposite
unhelpful
OriginMiddle English helpful →
Very commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

adjectivehelpful (comparative more helpful, superlative most helpful)

comparative more helpful · superlative most helpful · alternative archaic helpfull · alternative obsolete helpefull

  1. Furnishing help; gives aid; useful.

    a helpful clue

    2 more examples

    a helpful person

    […]inſtructe the yonge Chyrurgiane, becauſe that vvithout making any great delaye, he might be adiuvable & helpefull to the patient vvith theſe remedyes vvhich conſequently follovve.

    1597, Jacques Guillemeau, translated by A. M., The Frenche chirurgerye, Dort: Iſaac Canin, page 48

    Synonyms: friendly, obliging · Antonyms: unhelpful

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveFurnishing help; gives aid; useful.

Similar
friendlyobliging
Opposite
unhelpful

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveproviding assistance or serving a useful function

Similar
accommodatingadjuvantassistiveface-saving
Opposite
unhelpful
Also see
accommodatingadjuvantassistiveattendingbeneficialchristianconduciveconstructivefacilitativefacilitatoryfavourableimplementalinstrumentalministrantreformativereformatoryright-handserviceablesteadyingsubservientsweet

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishhelpful
  2. Englishhelpful

From Middle English helpful; equivalent to help + -ful.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans behulpsaam
  • behulpsaamfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Ancient Greek ὠφέλιμος
  • ὠφέλιμος (ōphélimos)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Arabic نَافِع, مُفِيد
  • نَافِع (nāfiʕ)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • مُفِيد (mufīd)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Bulgarian полезен, услужлив
  • полезен (polezen)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • услужлив (uslužliv)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • отзивчив (otzivčiv)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Catalan útil
  • útilfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Chinese Mandarin 有幫助 /有帮助
  • 有幫助 /有帮助 (yǒubāngzhù)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Czech nápomocný
  • nápomocnýfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Danish hjælpsom
  • hjælpsomfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Dutch behulpzaam
  • behulpzaamfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Esperanto helpema
  • helpemafurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Estonian abivalmis, kasulik
  • abivalmisfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • kasulikfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Finnish avulias, auttavainen
  • avuliasfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • auttavainenfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • hyödyllinenfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
French utile, serviable
  • utilefurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • serviablefurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • aidantfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
German hilfreich, hilfsbereit
  • hilfreichfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • hilfsbereitfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Hindi मददगार
  • मददगार (madadgār)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Hungarian segítőkész, készséges
  • segítőkészfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • készségesfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • szolgálatkészfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • hasznosfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Icelandic hjálpsamur, gagnlegt
  • hjálpsamurfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • gagnlegtfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Irish cúntach
  • cúntachfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Italian disponibile, utile
  • disponibilefurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • utilefurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • d'aiutofurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Japanese 役に立つ, 有用
  • 役に立つ (yakunitatsu)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • 有用 (yūyō)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Latin opifer, adiūtābilis
  • opiferfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • adiūtābilisfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Norwegian hjelpsom
  • hjelpsomfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Persian سودمند
  • سودمندfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Polish pomocny, uczynny
  • pomocnyfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • uczynnyfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Portuguese prestável, útil
  • prestávelfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • útilfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Romanian util, ajutător
  • utilfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • ajutătorfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Russian поле́зный, любе́зный
  • поле́зный (poléznyj)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • любе́зный (ljubéznyj)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Scottish Gaelic cuideachail
  • cuideachailfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Spanish servicial, adyuvante
  • servicialfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • adyuvantefurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • acomedidofurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • ayudadorfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
  • de ayuda (mucha)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Swedish hjälpsam
  • hjälpsamfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Urdu مددگار
  • مددگار (madadgār)furnishing help; giving aid; useful
Vietnamese hay giúp đỡ
  • hay giúp đỡfurnishing help; giving aid; useful
Cite this entry
APA

helpful. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helpful

MLA

“helpful.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helpful. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “helpful,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helpful.

Source: helpful on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.