Meaning & use
availeth
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“availeth” is a form of “avail”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitivearchaicliterary
is useful or helpful; has value or effect (archaic third-person singular of 'avail')
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'nothing' or 'much' to say how useful something is.
Patterns
- availeth nothing
- availeth much
He tried to argue, but his words availeth nothing.
Prayer availeth much in times of trouble.
What availeth it a man to gain the world and lose his soul?
Word forms
| third person singular | availeth |
|---|---|
| third person singular (modern) | avails |
| past tense | availed |
| past participle | availed |
| -ing form | availing |
Common combinations
- availeth nothing
- All his efforts availeth nothing against such odds.
- availeth much
- A kind word availeth much to a sad heart.
- what availeth it
- What availeth it to worry about things you cannot change?
Synonyms and how they differ
- helps
- Modern equivalent; use 'helps' in everyday speech instead of the archaic 'availeth'.
- benefits
- Suggests a positive effect; more common in modern English than 'availeth'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: availeth or avails?
availeth vs avails
The modern third-person singular form; 'availeth' is archaic and used in old texts.
Practice
In the sentence 'His efforts availeth nothing,' what does 'availeth' mean?
Choose one answer.
'Availeth nothing' means 'is of no use or value.' The phrase 'nothing' shows a negative outcome, so 'are completely useless' fits. 'Are very successful' is the opposite, and the others don't match the meaning of 'avail.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “availeth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.