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.
"Our findings show that it might be worthwhile to examine targeted antibiotics from ethnographic contexts - or, as in this case, from prehistoric contexts - in greater depth," concludes Siemssen.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
These stories of vindication are inherently compelling: “Everybody loves rediscovery, a happy ending, and the sense of eventual justice when something worthwhile gets its due.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
But while some growers, such as Carter, are interested in trying out new tech, many will wonder whether investing in it is really worthwhile.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Your wife, while she might possess similar thoughts to you, did not see it as appropriate or worthwhile to fight for the home.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 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.
