avail (redirected from avails nothing)

avail oneself of something

to help oneself by making use of something that is available. We availed ourselves of Tom's goodwill and let him repair the fence. The campers availed themselves of the first chance in a week to take a shower.

See also: oneself

to no avail and of no avail

Cliché with no effect; unsuccessful. All of my efforts were to no avail. Everything I did to help was of no avail. Nothing worked.

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avail yourself of something

to use something for your own benefit Many students avail themselves of government loan programs to help pay for college.

to no avail

without any benefit or result The boy pushed against the door to no avail - something heavy was holding it shut.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the phrase to little avail (having almost no benefit or result): Security forces tried to disperse the crowd, but to little avail.