Other forms: availed, availing
To avail is to be of use or help to somebody. It availed him nothing, to no avail, avail yourself of.
The verb survives mostly in two constructions. To no avail means without success, and is the commoner. Avail yourself of something means to make use of it, and it is formal to the point of stiffness — avail yourself of the facilities. Note available, which comes from the same word and is enormously commoner than the verb it was built from.
1verbavailTo be of use or help to somebody.
“Our arguments availed us nothing, and the council approved the plan.”
2nounbenefitUse or benefit, in the phrase to no avail.
“We searched the whole house for the ring, but to no avail.”
avail is a being of use.
Middle English availen is Old French a plus valoir, to be worth, from Latin valere, to be strong. Value, valid and prevail come from the same worth.
Old French
a — to
Middle English
availen — to be of use
English, today
avail
Built from
From Middle English availen (“to be of use”), from Old French a (“to”) + vail from valoir (“to be worth”), from Latin valere (“to be worthy, strong”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA