worst-case

[ wurst-keys ]

/ ˈwɜrstˌkeɪs /

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adjective

of the worst possibility; being the worst result that could be expected under the circumstances: a worst-case scenario.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Compare best-case.

Origin of worst-case

First recorded in 1960–65

How to use worst-case in a sentence

Without those subsidies, the worst-case scenario has Obamacare entering a fiscal death spiral.
A Reminder: Our Justices are Politicians in Robes|Jedediah Purdy|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, according to a recent World Food Program report (PDF), the estimate has risen to a worst-case scenario of 5.7 million.
Liberia’s Ebola Famine|Abby Haglage, Nina Strochlic|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because the worst-case scenario is you do a series finale and no one cares.
How Cristin Milioti Met Sitcom Stardom|Jason Lynch|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were worst-case-scenario models, as if no one did anything in response.
Meet America’s New Top Ebola Fighter|Abby Haglage|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The epidemic, in a worst-case scenario, could reach millions.
CDC’s Worst Case Scenario: 1.4 Million Ebola Cases|Abby Haglage|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now she turned to the worst case on her list, and made it her chief care.
A Houseful of Girls|Sarah Tytler
She took a pull of brandy large enough to ward off the worst case of pneumonia and then passed the bottle to Bag Ears.
"And That's How It Was, Officer"|Ralph Sholto
Archibius said that, even in the worst case, it could not render the present state of affairs darker.
Cleopatra, Complete|Georg Ebers
This was the worst case of buck fever that I have ever had and I do not care to ever experience a case of that kind again.
Fifty Years a Hunter and Trapper|Eldred Nathaniel Woodcock
The worst case of all occurs in the department of the affections.
Sermons Preached at Brighton|Frederick W. Robertson

British Dictionary definitions for worst-case

worst case

noun

a situation in which the most unfavourable conditions prevail
(as modifier)a worst-case projection of a massive accident

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

worst-case

Origin of worst-case

Words related to worst-case

How to use worst-case in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for worst-case