# helpful

/ˈhɛɫpfəɫ/ (US) · /hˈɛlpfəl/ (UK) · CEFR A2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/helpful
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

giving useful help or making a situation easier for you. You use this to describe people who do things for others or things that provide good information.

For teachers: providing assistance or useful information; beneficial in achieving a specific goal. Often used to describe both human agents and inanimate resources like books or advice.

## Examples

- The staff at the hotel are very helpful.
- I found a very helpful guide online that explained how to fix my broken laptop screen.
- While the initial feedback was critical, the reviewer provided several helpful suggestions that allowed the team to refine the final product before the official launch.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He is very helpfully" but "He is very helpful" — Learners sometimes confuse the adjective 'helpful' with the adverb 'helpfully' when describing a person's character.

## Usage notes

- Commonly followed by the preposition 'to' or 'for', or an infinitive with 'to' ('helpful to know').

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.