INDEX:
1. useful
2. extremely useful
3. useful only in particular situations
4. the quality of being useful
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ USELESS
see also
↑ CONVENIENT
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1. useful
▷ useful /ˈjuːsf ə l/ [adjective]
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 enemy
useful in (doing) something
▪ This equipment will prove useful in testing premature babies who we suspect might have hearing problems.
▷ be of use /biː əv ˈjuːs/ [verb phrase] 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▪ The information is slightly out-of-date, but it could still be of some use.
▷ handy /ˈhændi/ [adjective] 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 kilos
handy for (doing) something
▪ There’s a special brush you can attach to the vacuum cleaner, which is handy for cleaning the stairs.
▷ practical /ˈpræktɪk ə l/ [adjective]
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
▷ be good for (doing) something /biː ˌgʊd fəʳ (ˈduːɪŋ) something/ [verb phrase] 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.
▷ helpful /ˈhelpf ə l/ [adjective]
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.
▷ valuable /ˈvæljuəb ə l, -jɑb ə lǁˈvæljɑb ə l/ [adjective]
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.
▷ be worth it /biː ˈwɜːʳθ ɪt/ [verb phrase]
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.
2. extremely useful
▷ invaluable /ɪnˈvæljuəb ə l, -jɑb ə lǁɪnˈvæljɑb ə l/ [adjective]
▪ This book has been invaluable as a source of teaching materials.
▪ Contact with Western medical techniques proved invaluable, and the student doctors have benefited greatly.
invaluable to
▪ Margaret’s sensible suggestions have been invaluable to us.
invaluable for/in doing something
▪ Improved sewage and water services were invaluable in preventing disease.
▷ indispensable /ˌɪndɪˈspensəb ə l/ [adjective]
someone or something that is indispensable is so useful and important that you cannot do something without them :
▪ For mountain-climbing a really good sleeping-bag is indispensable.
▪ She soon became an indispensable member of staff.
indispensable to
▪ A knowledge of classical music is indispensable to anyone who wants to apply for this job.
▷ can’t do/manage without /ˌkɑːnt duː, ˌmænɪdʒ wɪðˈɑʊtǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase] spoken
use this about someone or something that is so useful that it would be very difficult to do something without them :
▪ Of course we all have concerns about the environment but you can’t do without a car out here in the countryside with no public transport.
▪ Top TV chef Billy Williams says he couldn’t manage without his food processor: ‘It cuts down preparation time by about half and saves you all those fiddly tasks.’
3. useful only in particular situations
▷ come in handy informal also come in useful British informal /ˌkʌm ɪn ˈhændi, ˌkʌm ɪn ˈjuːsf ə l/ [verb phrase]
something that comes in handy is not always necessary, but is good to have because it can be very useful in particular situations :
▪ My knowledge of Spanish came in handy when the car broke down near Madrid.
▪ Sometimes there are problems that are too big for you to sort out on your own. That’s when professional advice comes in useful.
come in handy for (doing) something
▪ A hacksaw always comes in handy for cutting plastic pipes.
come in handy as
▪ I suppose you thought I might come in useful as a translator.
▷ have its uses /ˌhæv ɪts ˈjuːsə̇z/ [verb phrase not in progressive] informal
use this to say that something is more useful than it seems :
▪ This typewriter may be old, but it has its uses.
▪ A knowledge of Latin can have its uses -- for instance, it can help you if you are learning Italian.
4. the quality of being useful
▷ usefulness /ˈjuːsf ə lnɪs, ˈjuːsf ə lnəs/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Statistics have some usefulness in the study of public health issues.
outlive its usefulness
not be useful any more
▪ We are beginning to think that this factory has outlived its usefulness as our main supplier.
▷ utility /juːˈtɪlɪti, juːˈtɪləti/ [uncountable noun] formal
how useful and effective something is :
▪ Demonstrations allow customers to get an immediate idea of a product’s utility.
▪ I have severe doubts about the utility of examinations on subjects which have been learned parrot-fashion.