availing
availing — verb
- availingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- availings3rd person singular
- availinging-ing form
- availingedpast simple
1. To give aid or bring about a positive result for a person, group, or situation —
To give aid or bring about a positive result for a person, group, or situation — now mostly found in formal writing and typically used in statements where an action turns out to have no effect.
Hao begged the judge for leniency, but his words availed him nothing.
avail + [someone] + nothing — formal negative pattern
All the medicine in the camp availed little against the spreading fever.
avail little against — intransitive use with preposition
Saira tried every argument, but reason availed nothing against the villagers' deep fears.
Courage alone availed the trapped climbers little without proper rescue gear.
No apology from the board could avail against the damage already done.
- hinder
to make something more difficult rather than helpful
文法句型
avail + [someone] + nothing/little
avail + against + [something]
用法筆記
Almost always used in negative or limiting contexts with 'nothing' or 'little.' The subject is usually an action, effort, or quality rather than a person. Rare in spoken English; 'help' or 'work' are the everyday alternatives.
常見錯誤
2. To use an available opportunity, service, or resource for your own benefit — alw
To use an available opportunity, service, or resource for your own benefit — always used with a reflexive pronoun such as yourself, himself, or themselves, followed by the word 'of'.
Ezra availed himself of the free legal clinic to sort out his visa.
avail oneself of + [service]
To finish her thesis before the semester ended, Ingrid availed herself of the library's extended hours.
fronted purpose clause: To [VP], [subject] availed [reflexive] of [NP]
The hotel's complimentary shuttle service was availed of by nearly every guest attending the downtown conference.
Salma availed herself of every training course the company paid for.
Rather than pay an accountant, Elena availed herself of the council's free tax clinic and saved a substantial sum.
- use
everyday equivalent; lacks the formal, deliberate tone of 'avail oneself of'
- take advantage of
very close in meaning but less formal; can also carry a negative connotation of exploitation
- make use of
neutral and widely used in both speech and writing
- ignore
to not use or pay attention to something that is available
文法句型
avail oneself of + [opportunity/resource/service]
用法筆記
Always reflexive: you must say 'avail myself/herself/themselves of.' Dropping the reflexive pronoun ('availed of the offer') is incorrect. The object of 'of' is typically an opportunity, resource, or service that is already available.
常見錯誤
availing — noun
1. The practical help or positive outcome that comes from an action — in modern Eng
The practical help or positive outcome that comes from an action — in modern English, almost always appears in the set phrases 'to no avail' (without any success) or 'to little avail' (with very limited success).
Dewi searched the entire building for her keys, but to no avail.
to no avail — fixed phrase meaning 'without any success'
The rescue team worked through the night, to little avail.
to little avail — fixed phrase meaning 'with very limited success'
Putri pleaded with the airline for a refund, but to no avail.
Adaeze tried every remedy the doctor suggested, all to no avail.
Esme attempted to repair the leaking pipe herself, to little avail.
文法句型
to no avail
to little avail
用法筆記
In modern English, the noun 'avail' is almost never used outside the fixed phrases 'to no avail' and 'to little avail.' It cannot be used in constructions like 'the avail of this tool' — instead, say 'the usefulness of this tool' or 'the benefit of this tool.'