use ‧ ful S1 W1 /ˈjuːsf ə l/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ usage , ↑ use , ↑ disuse , ↑ misuse , ↑ reuse , ↑ usefulness ≠ ↑ uselessness , ↑ user ; adjective : ↑ reusable , used ≠ ↑ unused , ↑ disused , ↑ useful ≠ ↑ useless , ↑ usable ≠ ↑ unusable ; verb : ↑ use , ↑ misuse , ↑ reuse ; adverb : ↑ usefully ≠ ↑ uselessly ]
helping you to do or get what you want OPP useless :
useful information
A little Japanese can be really useful.
useful for
The space under the desk is useful for storing CDs.
useful to
techniques that could be useful to teachers
Can you come and make yourself useful (=help people to do something) ?
—usefully adverb
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COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ useful information/advice
She gave me some useful advice.
▪ a useful tip
Their website has some useful tips on selling your home.
▪ a useful way of doing something
Keeping lists of the words you learn is a useful way of remembering vocabulary.
▪ a useful tool
The Internet is a useful tool for investors.
▪ a useful contribution
He played well and made a useful contribution to the team’s performance.
■ verbs
▪ find something useful
Did you find the book useful?
▪ prove useful formal (=be useful)
This equipment could prove useful in testing babies’ hearing.
■ phrases
▪ it is useful to do something
It is useful to practise in front of an audience.
▪ come in useful (=be useful)
The extra income would come in useful.
▪ make yourself useful (=be helpful)
Don’t just stand there – make yourself useful!
▪ serve a useful purpose/function (=be useful)
Sending her to prison would serve no useful purpose.
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THESAURUS
▪ useful something that is useful makes it easier for you to do something:
He gave me some useful advice.
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a useful thing to know
▪ handy informal useful – used especially about something that is convenient and easy to use:
a handy little booklet
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The book is full of handy hints.
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I always keep old jars – you never know when they might come in handy (=be useful) .
▪ helpful useful because it helps you to do something:
This drug can be helpful in treating depression.
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helpful advice
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helpful suggestions
▪ of use [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.
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He wants to be of use.
▪ worthwhile if doing something is worthwhile, it is useful for you and you benefit from doing it:
The training was certainly worthwhile.
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a worthwhile experience
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It is worthwhile to start by asking ourselves why people get involved in crime.
■ very useful
▪ valuable very useful in helping you do something:
His information was very valuable to the police.
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The course was a valuable experience for me.
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a valuable contribution
▪ invaluable extremely useful in helping you do something:
His help was invaluable.
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The drug could be invaluable for treating cancer patients.
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an invaluable experience
▪ indispensable someone or something that is indispensable is so useful and important that you cannot do something without them:
For walkers, a good compass is indispensable.
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He became an indispensable part of the team.
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an indispensable guide to travelling in Italy
▪ be great for something informal to be very useful for doing something:
The bag is great for taking on holiday.