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.
Worthwhile documentaries crystallize a point in time in a way that contextualizes current circumstances.
From Salon • Sep. 10, 2025
Worthwhile pros will stop unwanted air flow before they add insulation.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 5, 2023
His last major release was 2006’s Goya’s Ghost, although he also remade his own, early A Well Paid Walk in 2009 as A Walk Worthwhile, sharing directing duties with his son, Petr.
From Slate • Apr. 14, 2018
Forman's last film as a director was "A Walk Worthwhile," a 2009 musical comedy released only in the Czech Republic.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2018
Worthwhile just to see the machinery that can turn 3.5 million unpeeled pineapples into cans in one day.
From Oahu Traveler's guide by Gleasner, Bill
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.
