helpfulhelp‧ful /ˈhelpfəl/ ●●● S2 W3 adjective 
Thank you for your advice; it’s been very helpful.it is helpful (for somebody) to do something It is helpful to discuss your problems with your friends. It is helpful for family members to gain a basic understanding of the illness. It is helpful if we address a few key questions here.helpful in doing something We hope this leaflet has been helpful in answering your questions.helpful advice/hints/suggestions etc Our sales staff are there to give you helpful advice.► see thesaurus at useful2always willing to help people: She’s a helpful child. I’m only trying to be helpful.—helpfully adverb—helpfulness noun [uncountable]
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a helpful child
- A helpful woman at the tourist office gave me some tips on places to visit.
- I found these cassettes very helpful when I was learning Spanish.
- I think it would be helpful to summarize what we agreed at the last meeting.
- Thanks, Sam. You've been very helpful.
- The drug Prozac can be helpful in treating anxiety.
- The Student Cook Book provides basic helpful advice without sounding patronising.
- Consideration given to follow-up visits by officers, if suitable or helpful.
- Decongestants can be helpful, because they reduce the swelling of the lining of the nose, making air passage easier.
- However, his other suggestions are more helpful.
- I explained to them that the information could be extremely helpful during the board meeting.
- It is, of course, tremendously helpful to embellish school courses by providing related experiences at home.
- Miss Menzies couldn't be very helpful about the Datsun, though she answered all his questions very readily.
- Several other recent studies have shown that moderate consumption of red wine, in particular, is helpful for preventing heart disease.
- The local social work department is being most helpful in these matters.
THESAURUS
something that is useful makes it easier for you to do something: · He gave me some useful advice.· a useful thing to know
informal useful – used especially about something that is convenient and easy to use: · a handy little booklet· The book is full of handy hints.· I always keep old jars – you never know when they might come in handy (=be useful).
useful because it helps you to do something: · This drug can be helpful in treating depression.· helpful advice· helpful suggestions
[not before noun] if someone or something is of use, they are useful for you when you are doing something: · I hope you’ll find the book of use.· He wants to be of use.
if doing something is worthwhile, it is useful for you and you benefit from doing it: · The training was certainly worthwhile.· a worthwhile experience· It is worthwhile to start by asking ourselves why people get involved in crime.
Longman Language Activatorways of saying that something helps you to do something to make it easier for someone to do something or to make a difficult situation easier: · I took a couple of aspirin for my headache, but they didn't help.· The warm weather this spring has certainly helped the farmers.help somebody do something: · All this arguing isn't going to help us win the election.help somebody to do something: · The latest report should help us to evaluate the true benefits of the program.
formal to help someone do something: · They have developed a computerized system that will greatly assist all library users.assist somebody in/with something: · The guide is written to assist consumers in choosing the best insurance plan.
formal to help someone or something achieve something, by making the situation that they are in easier: · The new government grants are intended to aid small businesses.· Our ability to combat organized crime has been aided by our partnership with local police.aid in: · The new equipment has been provided to aid in the diagnosis of liver disorders.
if something is a help , it makes it easier for you to do something, especially something that would be difficult to do without it: · For the teachers, just having more books and equipment would be a help.be a big/great/real help: · Stating your objectives clearly will be a great help in organizing the research.
making it likely to be easier for you to do or achieve something: · If you're looking for a good guidebook, I found this one to be very helpful.· She gave us some helpful advice about renting apartments.helpful in: · Giving the test can be helpful in deciding the best way to treat a patient.it is helpful to do something: · It's helpful to prepare a list of questions before going to an interview.
actions, experiences, changes etc that are beneficial help to improve someone's situation or give them an advantage: · The relationship between the two companies has been mutually beneficial.beneficial to: · Recent studies show that moderate amounts of alcohol are beneficial to health.beneficial effect/impact/result: · There is no evidence that the diet pills have any beneficial effect on weight loss.
something that is a boon happens or is given to you, especially unexpectedly, and makes it much easier for you to do something: · Having a bicycle was a tremendous boon as our house was so far from the village.be a boon to/for: · The current low exchange rates are a boon for exporters.· Increased competition among airlines will prove to be a boon to tourists.
if you do something with the aid of something, especially an object, you need that thing to help you do it: · The bacteria can only be seen with the aid of a high power microscope.· Since the accident he's only been able to walk with the aid of a cane.
words for describing someone who is helpful · Thanks, Sam. You've been very helpful.· A helpful woman at the tourist office gave me some tips on places to visit.
if someone is a help , they make it easier for you to do something: · Thanks for looking after the children - you've really been a help.be a big/great/real help: · Jim was a big help getting the house ready for the party.
also co-operative British someone who is cooperative helps someone who has asked them to help, by working together with them and not causing any problems: · Some of the students are highly cooperative and attentive, but unfortunately, most aren't.· The suspect has been cooperative with investigators, but he shows little remorse.
formal someone who is obliging is always ready to help and enjoys helping people, even people who are unreasonable or difficult: · The shop assistants were very obliging, and brought me at least fifteen pairs of shoes to try on.
someone who is accommodating is willing to do what someone else wants, even if this is not the best thing for themselves, in order to help them or make them more comfortable: · He was very accommodating, always asking if I needed anything.· She's so nice and accommodating, I'm afraid people will take advantage of her.
words for describing someone or something that is not helpful · He bought a book on relaxation techniques but it wasn't very helpful.· The authorities weren't helpful at all when Rob reported his passport stolen.· I found the sales assistants most unhelpful.
if something or someone is no help they do not help you do something or get something: · Clarissa was no help - she just sat around and watched TV.· The phrase book wasn't much help in carrying on a conversation.
not wanting to help someone who wants you to help them, especially by deliberately opposing them or stopping them doing something easily: · Many of the older patients are uncooperative and difficult for the nurses to handle.· Hubbel has been a very uncooperative witness.
especially spoken not giving any help - use this when you are annoyed with someone or something because they should help you but they do not: · I tried calling the tax office but they were completely useless.completely/absolutely useless: · There's no point reading the instructions - they're completely useless.
if someone does not lift a finger , they do not help when help is wanted or needed, especially because they are lazy: · She stayed with us for two weeks and never lifted a finger the whole time.· Police knew there would be a fight, but they didn't lift a finger to try and stop it.
useful something that is useful makes it easier for you to do something: · See page 35 for a list of useful addresses.· The bank gave us a lot of useful advice about starting our own business.useful for (doing) something: · Scotch tape is very useful for making quick repairs.useful to: · information that may be useful to the enemyuseful in (doing) something: · This equipment will prove useful in testing premature babies who we suspect might have hearing problems.
formal to be useful: · If there are items in the newspaper files which could be of use, please take a copy of them.be of use to: · This book will be of use to all teachers.be some/any use: · Would these computer cleaners be any use to you?be of some use (=be fairly useful): · The information is slightly out-of-date, but it could still be of some use.
informal useful and easy to use: · This handy booklet tells you everything you need to know about getting connected to the Internet.· a handy chart for converting pounds into kiloshandy for (doing) something: · There's a special brush you can attach to the vacuum cleaner, which is handy for cleaning the stairs.
designed to be useful rather than attractive - use this especially about clothes and things you use in your house: · The company specializes in making practical footwear for the leisure sports market.· a type of floor covering that is simple, practical, and cheap
especially spoken to be suitable and useful for a particular job or purpose: · The table does take up a lot of space, but it's good for parties.· The big jars are good for storing pasta.
something that is helpful is useful because it helps you to do something: · I found these cassettes very helpful when I was learning Spanish.· The Student Cook Book provides basic helpful advice without sounding patronising.helpful in doing something: · The drug Prozac can be helpful in treating anxiety.it is helpful to do something: · I think it would be helpful to summarize what we agreed at the last meeting.
help, advice, knowledge etc that is valuable is very useful in helping you do something: · Joyce gave us a lot of valuable advice when we first started the company.valuable to: · Your knowledge and experience would be very valuable to us.it is valuable for somebody to do something: · While it is valuable for children to have individual responsibilities, it is also good to share jobs with them.valuable contribution: · Nuclear power makes a valuable contribution to the environment by curbing carbon dioxide emissions.
use this to say that something you do has a useful result: · I didn't bother looking at the instructions -- I didn't think it was worth it.be worth doing/trying etc (=used especially to suggest doing something): · It may be worth putting an advertisement in the local paper.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It is helpful if we address a few key questions here. Our sales staff are there to give you helpful advice.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a few useful pointers about using the technique
It is helpful if we address a few key questions here. Our sales staff are there to give you helpful advice.· The book is full of good advice.
(=one that helps you make progress)· Pay close attention to your teacher’s constructive comments.
a few useful pointers about using the technique· He made various helpful suggestions.
· Go to their website to find useful tips on buying and selling a home.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· It is also helpful to know that he or she was by no means alone and that many others suffered in the same way.· It is also helpful to use tangible rewards.· It is also helpful to have some knowledge of trends in publishing.· It is also helpful to put the glass down when not sipping.· It's also helpful if you tend to have low expectations of yourself and of making demands on others.· Measurements of 25OHD3 levels are also helpful.· There are also helpful tips on troubleshooting.· Plasticine is also helpful in keeping bones in position while they are being stuck.
· If all TECs are as helpful and supportive as Bradford, then long may they flourish.
· Some moisturisers claim to be especially helpful at repairing this loss and strengthening your skin.· The extra time has been especially helpful to the Cowboys because the Steelers do some different things.· This group will be especially helpful to those who are left alone and need care and support.· Many users report that having a written file of what was agreed on during a meeting is especially helpful.· This will be especially helpful to those who suffer from lower back pain.· This technique is especially helpful for certain types of homework assignments.· The concept of practical consciousness is especially helpful in accommodating this commonplace fact.
· We checked in to the bright, airy Parkhotel Den Haag, where the staff were extremely helpful and pleasant.· Anyway, it is extremely helpful in a young career because it leaves you fearless.· Their comments have been extremely helpful.· I explained to them that the information could be extremely helpful during the board meeting.· Tables subdivided into Faults/Reasons/Remedies can be extremely helpful.· My hon. Friend's comment is extremely helpful.· However, it would be extremely helpful if those officers were medically trained.
· Yet just how helpful will it be to us?· You may be surprised how helpful they can be.· They know how helpful tears are to defuse tension and how constructive their aftermath can be.· I thought your man, Duchek, ought to know, too, considering how helpful he's been.
· This Government's many imaginative and effective initiatives are far more helpful to the regions than any hare-brained scheme from Labour.· The service could be so much broader and more creative, not to mention more helpful!· However, his other suggestions are more helpful.· Captain Merrill could not have been more helpful.· An alternative analogy may be more helpful.· The more filly a marker event can sum up the reality of what is ended, the more helpful it will be.· There was no reason to believe that a Churchill ministry would be more helpful.· The are willing to describe cases anonymously, though it would be more helpful if people were prepared to be named.
· The School Board is writing to support this initiative, and it would be most helpful if you could do likewise.· A drawing as illustrated in the previous subsection should be most helpful to the readers of your proposal.· Performance measures are usually most helpful when used for comparisons: for example, between units performing similar tasks, or over time.· People often approach writing like medicine, believing that the most unpleasant-tasting doses are the most helpful.· Eye drops and nose sprays are among the most helpful treatments.· This is a moment when pride and stubbornness in the permanent truths of the constitution are not the most helpful qualities.· Local Government is their profession and their life and they are most helpful to the elected members.· I do not understand the difference between these two kinds of therapists and wonder which would be most helpful for my wife.
· A technique used for revealing flaws in metal casings is often helpful in such cases.· Ones that enhance the serotonin effects are often helpful in chronic pain disorders.· Even when such a calculation is not followed through, the insight obtained from the Fourier series concept is often helpful.· However, a small dose of a short-acting sedative at bedtime for sleeping is often helpful. 4.· And in these matters it's often helpful to have a third party present.· Here it if often helpful if you work with a partner, as long as you both think along the same lines.· It is often helpful to group dynamics to introduce games and exercises into group discussion.
· This is particularly helpful to the student at the beginning of her allocation.· The latter are particularly helpful since cholesterol becomes harmful when its chemical structure is changed through oxidisation.· Text and images handled separately A combination of the above but not a particularly helpful treatment.· The work of Eva Kittay is particularly helpful in this respect.· But this month it is particularly helpful.· The method of goal planning we will present here may be particularly helpful for clients with stress related problems.· In the next chapter the diagrams are particularly helpful in explaining the application of ultrasound in non-intrusive diagnosis, inspection and monitoring.· This is particularly helpful if your school's organisation seeks to register as a charity at a later date.
· Some women find a cup of strong coffee every hour or so helpful, as it helps them pass more water.· They say unpleasant things about young people today, but I find them so helpful.· Steroids, which are so helpful in other ways, can produce extensive acne on face, chest and back.
· That's all been very helpful.· However, if the researcher had such skills it would be very helpful to the writing process.· Expert advice from a local gym or sports centre can be very helpful when you are starting with weights.· Quiet, consistent insistence by the parent is very helpful.· It is also a very helpful discipline if you are considering applying in due course for a Legal Aid Board franchise.· Most dictionaries define praise by giving synonyms like glorify, extol, commend, magnify, which is not really very helpful.· Personality has not been shown by industrial psychologists to be a very helpful predictor of performance.· It is very helpful to attend a relatives' group.
NOUN· Who says I never give you helpful advice?· A small light bulb next to the assistant indicates that it has some helpful advice to offer.· It contains plenty of helpful advice on giving up smoking.· For helpful advice, dial Trudy on any of the subjects listed right. 1.· Contact Chartwell - you will receive friendly and helpful advice plus the best value for money quotation possible.· Our sales staff are friendly, experienced people who are there to give you helpful advice.· We will endeavour to provide helpful advice on finding partners and submitting proposals.· The helpful advice received from the Electricity Board, had been passed on to them.
· Do we ever see articles or helpful hints aimed at us?· Beyond these guidelines, there are plenty of helpful hints to keep you on a low-fat track.· The lads, as always, were on the phone all week with helpful hints.· They were extremely receptive to the helpful hints offered by advice magazines, which were proliferating at the time.· An instruction book is included in the box, with helpful hints and suggestions for projects.· They actually like having a bloke in the passenger seat offering helpful hints at the top of his voice?· This newspaper contains many helpful hints on job seeking as well as lots of varied and interesting job vacancies.
· The comment should therefore provide helpful information about why the work was abandoned in this instance.· Wells adds wine suggestions, cooking tips or helpful information about ingredients with most recipes.· Actively supply others with helpful information.· From some relationships come helpful information and support, and often abiding friendships.
· Do you have any helpful suggestions?· More often than not a reader unfamiliar with your work will give you some of the most helpful suggestions.· These channels are described in more detail in specialist publications which also offer helpful suggestions on how and when to use them.· Any helpful suggestions or comments would also be welcome.
· It is the job of stylistics to relate linguistic description to interpretation in a clear and helpful way.· When a child encounters an unfamiliar word, there are several helpful ways to intervene.· One quite helpful way of understanding social change is to construct simplified, even idealised, pictures of a past community life.· Asking the patient to recall a typical 24 hours eating pattern is often the most helpful way of assessing dietary habits.· The farm business tenancy is a helpful way forward.· However, it is a helpful way of determining whether any lessons can be learned for future projects.· A survey is a very helpful way to begin to research the areas intelligently.· This paper has provided an example of how the self-interest of solicitors is a more helpful way of viewing this group.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- Although he did not reject a fact-finding mission outright, Major was clearly less than enthusiastic about the idea.
- But in the same interview Mr Dole, as is his way, was a little less than helpful to the president.
- But the way in which they are present may be less than helpful.
- In this dilemma, Eliot was less than helpful to his apologists.
- Not surprisingly, the reaction of local residents to the schemes was less than enthusiastic.
- The refugees are naturally less than enthusiastic about this.
- Those who had known him from that earlier period, however, were less than enthusiastic about his elevation.
WORD FAMILYnounhelphelperhelpfulness ≠ unhelpfulnesshelpinghelplessnessadjectivehelpful ≠ unhelpfulhelplessadverbhelpfully ≠ unhelpfullyhelplesslyverbhelp
1providing useful help in making a situation better or easier: Thank you for your advice; it’s been very helpful.it is helpful (for somebody) to do something It is helpful to discuss your problems with your friends. It is helpful for family members to gain a basic understanding of the illness. It is helpful if we address a few key questions here.helpful in doing something We hope this leaflet has been helpful in answering your questions.helpful advice/hints/suggestions etc Our sales staff are there to give you helpful advice.► see thesaurus at useful2always willing to help people: She’s a helpful child. I’m only trying to be helpful.—helpfully adverb—helpfulness noun [uncountable]