avail

avail — noun

1. the practical benefit or positive effect that comes from doing something, almost

1.nounC2
Definition

the practical benefit or positive effect that comes from doing something, almost always used in negative or near-negative phrases such as 'to no avail' or 'of little avail'.

Example

Sven shouted for help, but his cries were of no avail in the empty parking lot.

fixed pattern: of no avail

The lawyer's clever arguments were of little avail against such clear evidence.

of little avail + against [obstacle]

Common collocations
  • to no avail
  • of no avail
  • of little avail
  • of great avail (archaic)
Synonyms
  • use

    more everyday; 'it was of no use' is more natural in speech than 'of no avail'.

  • benefit

    neutral and modern; works in positive sentences where 'avail' would sound stiff.

  • purpose

    focuses on the goal served; pairs with 'serve no purpose' rather than 'avail'.

Antonyms
  • success

    the outcome 'to no avail' fails to deliver.

Grammar Patterns

of avail

to no avail

of little avail

Usage Note

Almost always appears in fixed negative phrases ('to no avail', 'of little avail', 'of no avail'). A bare positive use such as 'the medicine was of great avail' sounds archaic and is generally avoided in modern English.

Common Mistakes

The new policy brought a big avail to the team.
The new policy brought big benefits to the team.
'avail' is not a normal countable noun for 'benefit'; reserve it for the fixed phrases.
Her training was of much avail in the contest.
Her training was of great help in the contest.
positive 'of much/great avail' sounds outdated; use 'help', 'benefit', or 'use' instead.
Idioms

of little/no avail

idiom

Not helpful or useful in achieving a result.

Maya's apology was of little avail after the harsh words.

All our careful planning was of no avail when the storm hit.

to little/no avail

idiom

Without achieving the desired result despite effort.

Diego tried to fix the leak, but to little avail.

Sara studied all night, yet to no avail; she failed the exam.

avail — verb

avail — idiom

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four verbs describe putting something to work for one's own benefit, but they differ sharply in register and feeling. 'Use' is the plainest and works for any object — a tool, a chance, a person — and is by far the most common in speech. 'Make use of' is slightly more deliberate and is the closest neutral equivalent of 'avail oneself of'; both fit written notices: 'Guests may make use of / avail themselves of the gym.' 'Take advantage of' overlaps strongly but can suggest cleverness or even unfairness, depending on tone: 'She took advantage of the discount' is fine, but 'He took advantage of his sister' implies harm. 'Exploit' is the strongest, often negative, suggesting selfish or unfair use of resources or people. 'Avail oneself of' stays formal and polite, used in invitations, contracts, and official notices.

use ↗take advantage ofmake use ofexploit ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

  • of (with reflexive verb)
  • to (in 'to no avail')

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Avail' came into Middle English around the thirteenth century, formed from the prefix 'a-' (meaning 'to' or 'toward', from Latin 'ad-') and the Old French verb 'valoir', 'to be worth' (from Latin 'valere'). The original idea was 'to be of worth toward something or someone'. The same Latin root 'valere' gave English 'value', 'valid', and 'valour'. In modern English the verb has narrowed mostly to negative or reflexive patterns, while the noun survives almost only inside fixed phrases such as 'to no avail'.