All our efforts availed us little in trying to effect a change.
verb (used without object)
2.
to be of use; have force or efficacy; serve; help:
His strength did not avail against the hostile onslaught.
3.
to be of value or profit.
noun
4.
advantage; use; efficacy; effective use in the achievement of a goal or objective:
His belated help will be of little or no avail.
5.
avails, Archaic. profits or proceeds.
Idioms
6.
avail oneself of, to use to one's advantage:
They availed themselves of the opportunity to hear a free concert.
Origin
1250-1300;Middle Englishavaile, equivalent to a-a-2 + vaile < Old Frenchvail- (stem of valoir) < Latinvalēre to be of worth
Related forms
availingly, adverb
unavailed, adjective
Examples from the web for avail
Do not avail yourself of any of the scientific benefits either.
Whether he will avail himself of the newer treatments hasn't been decided.
Local police scrambled for clues, but to no avail.
Nor helm nor steersman here can aught avail.
The drapes stay closed to ward off distractions, but to little avail.
The rhetoric of higher-education lobbying about the personal advantages of getting a college degree won't avail.
Relief workers and police beat them back with sticks, to little avail.
He did apply to history programs as well, to no avail.
They knew the true Prussian way of whimpering when bullying did not avail them.
Sidney began searching the shelves for the brand of baked potato chips she said she was looking for, but to no avail.
British Dictionary definitions for avail
avail
/əˈveɪl/
verb
1.
to be of use, advantage, profit, or assistance (to)
2.
avail oneself of, to make use of to one's advantage
noun
3.
use or advantage (esp in the phrases of no avail, to little avail)
Derived Forms
availingly, adverb
Word Origin
C13 availen, from vailen, from Old French valoir, from Latin valēre to be strong, prevail
Word Origin and History for avail
v.
c.1300, availen, apparently a French compound formed in English from Old French a- "to" (see ad-) + vailen "to avail," from vaill-, present stem of valoir "be worth," from Latin valere (see valiant). Related: Availed; availing. As a noun, from c.1400.
Idioms and Phrases with avail
avail
In addition to the idiom beginning with avail also see:to no avail