helpful

adjective

ˈhelp-fəl How to pronounce helpful (audio)
Definition of helpfulnext
1
as in useful
providing service or assistance a website that I've always found to be helpful for finding information on common medical problems

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beneficial
promoting or contributing to personal or social well-being the teachers felt that it would be helpful to have more than one thesaurus in the classroom

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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 helpful Any potential user should have access to helpful documents covering key features, use cases and integrations as well as how to migrate off a competitor’s platform. — Kevin Cochrane, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Finally, the panel comes with a helpful matte, anti-glare cover layer. — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026 Notifications are either helpful nudges or time-consuming attention thieves, depending on your worldview. — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026 To build it that way has been really helpful in terms of that pipeline. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for helpful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helpful
  1. useful
  2. beneficial
  3. favorable
  4. good
  5. friendly
Adjective
  • But the technology is also useful for national security, and those applications don’t require the same level of power-generating fusion success that the electrical grid does.
    — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • While titles can be a useful metric, there seems to be an epidemic of women being promoted to partner without real power.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of useful
Adjective
  • More research is needed to better understand the connection between creatine and cognition; but the supplement may be beneficial for brain health, particularly in older adults and for issues related to sleep deprivation.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But Helland said such undertakings, while potentially beneficial, were voluntary on the part of the cities.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of beneficial
Adjective
  • Liu, who is not involved in the pope’s care, said that, of the different types of lung cancers, adenocarcinoma has the most favorable prognosis.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Many Laredo residents cross the border to run errands, taking advantage of lower grocery prices and a favorable exchange rate on the Mexican side of the river.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of favorable
Adjective
  • Even if Chili’s dismissal is unrelated, an ex-employee is a good place to start.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In 2025, Toho posted its best-ever results at the Japanese box office.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of good
Adjective
  • Folks in Europe can get the 900 in an A2-friendly configuration that limits its power output.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Wisely, our Fathers chose a secular people-friendly format not subject to papal or evangelical or ayatollah decree.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of friendly

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helpers
helpful
helpfully
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Cite this Entry

“Helpful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helpful. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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