worthwhile
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of worthwhile
Explanation
Things that are worthwhile are good — they're worth the time or money you spend on them. If you walked out of the theater and said "Wow, I'm glad I saw that movie!", then your film viewing trip was worthwhile. If going to the gym helped you get in better shape, it was worthwhile. If hanging out in the park made you happy, it was worthwhile. If something is a total waste of time and you wish you hadn't done it, then it wasn't worthwhile.
Vocabulary lists containing worthwhile
Because of Mr. Terupt
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List 9
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"The Ugly One," Vocabulary from Chapters 21-25
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Other times, it may be worthwhile to hold on to an item and see what offers materialize.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
Hotel owners never got market-rate compensation for loyalty stays, but the program was seen as worthwhile because it drove loyalty and attracted new customers, hotel owners say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
"All I can say is in my experience, the way that negotiations work is that people have to feel that they've got enough to make it worthwhile participating in that negotiation".
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
Presumably, those who could afford the intimidating ticket and parking prices at SoFi Stadium considered the experience worthwhile.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
Then, as you watch, you know it was all worthwhile.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
