worthy

The combining form –worthy is used like a suffix meaning “deserving of,” “fit for,” or “capable of travel in or on.” It is occasionally used in a variety of everyday and technical terms.

The form –worthy comes from Old English –wyrðe, meaning “worthy.”

One example of a word that features the form –worthy is seaworthy, “constructed, outfitted, manned, and in all respects fitted for a voyage at sea.”

As we have seen, the suffix –worthy means “fit for,” in reference to the first part of the word. In this case, the first part of the word is sea–. Seaworthy literally means “fit for the sea.”

What are some words that use the combining form –worthy?

• cringeworthy
• newsworthy
• quoteworthy
• roadworthy
• trustworthy

What are some other forms that –worthy may be commonly confused with?

• -ward
• -ware
• -y

Given the meaning of the combining form –worthy, what does roadworthy mean?