English Reference
Idiom idiom

what's the good of


What is the purpose or advantage of

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“What's the good of worrying about things you can't change?”

CONTEXTUAL

“He looked at the broken bike and asked, 'What's the good of fixing it if it breaks again every month?'”

COMPLEX

“Surveying the ruins of his father's orchard, now barren from drought, he muttered bitterly, 'What's the good of planting trees that will not live to bear fruit?'”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a good deal

    Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.

  2. 02

    all good

    It's all good.

  3. 03

    bill of goods

    A set of misleading or deceptive claims.

  4. 04

    but good

    To a high degree; very thoroughly; in a most definite manner.

  5. 05

    come from a good place

    To be motivated by decency, kindness, or good intentions.

  6. 06

    come up with the goods

    To produce what was expected or required.

  7. 07

    deal a good hand

    To assign favorable circumstances in life to someone.

  8. 08

    deliver the goods

    To do what was promised or expected.

Last updated August 10, 2026