useful

adjective

use·​ful ˈyüs-fəl How to pronounce useful (audio)
Synonyms of usefulnext
1
: capable of being put to use
especially : serviceable for an end or purpose
useful tools
2
: of a valuable or productive kind
do something useful with your life
usefully
ˈyüs-fə-lē How to pronounce useful (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of useful

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of useful in a Sentence

Does anyone have any useful suggestions? It can be useful to know CPR. The Internet is useful for finding information quickly. She has become one of the team's most useful players. Why don't you do something useful with your life?
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
There’s a truism that all models are wrong, but some are useful. — ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026 Squeegees are also a useful tool when cleaning glass—they’re great for big windows, shower doors, or mirrors. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 2 July 2026 That could be useful for large grid storage projects, especially in places where heat, storms or heavy power demand can strain local systems. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Christie’s and Sotheby’s summer buffet of Old Master pictures offered a useful snapshot of where that market stands today. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for useful

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of useful was in 1595

Phrases Containing useful

Browse Nearby Words

usee
useful
useful idiot
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Useful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/useful. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

useful

adjective
use·​ful ˈyüs-fəl How to pronounce useful (audio)
1
: capable of being put to use : usable
useful scraps of material
2
: having practical value
a useful invention
usefully
-fə-lē How to pronounce useful (audio)
adverb
usefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on useful

Nglish: Translation of useful for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All