worst-case

[wurst-keys]

adjective

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

Compare best-case.

Origin of worst-case

First recorded in 1960–65

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for worst-case

Contemporary Examples of worst-case

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
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
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
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
The worst-case scenario would be Kutesa becoming the next Brendan Eich.
The U.N.’s Next President Is a Gay-Hating Friend of Uganda’s Corrupt Dictator
Jay Michaelson
June 3, 2014