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.
The jury is still out on whether Alphabet’s AI spending is worthwhile.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Turning on the oven quite literally changes the climate of my entire workplace — but roasting summer fruit is one of the few things that makes the sacrifice worthwhile.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
“If I look at the profitability of the credit card and put it on top of that route, is that enough to make it worthwhile to fly a loss leader?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
He said: "Britain must do the same, but whilst other countries have used conscription, we remain committed to a professional, volunteer armed forces - and that means we need to make reserve service financially worthwhile."
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
The headmistress smiled tightly; she did not, her smile said, think it worthwhile to address the processes of lesser schools.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
