worth
preposition
good or important enough to justify (what is specified).
worth
1 American
[wurth]
/ wɜrθ /
preposition
-
good or important enough to justify (what is specified).
advice worth taking;
a place worth visiting.
-
having a value of, or equal in value to, as in money.
This vase is worth 12 dollars.
-
having property to the value or amount of.
They are worth millions.
noun
-
excellence of character or quality as commanding esteem.
women of worth.
-
usefulness or importance, as to the world, to a person, or for a purpose.
Your worth to the world is inestimable.
-
value, as in money.
-
a quantity of something of a specified value.
ten cents' worth of candy.
-
wealth; riches; property or possessions.
net worth.
idioms
-
for all one is worth, to the utmost.
He ran for all he was worth.
-
for what it’s worth, whether or not (what is stated) is useful or important enough to justify.
For what it’s worth, I think you should apologize to him.
worth
2
American
[wurth]
/ wɜrθ /
verb (used without object)
Archaic.
Worth
3
American
[wurth]
/ wɜrθ /
noun
worth
1
British
/ wɜːθ /
adjective
-
worthy of; meriting or justifying
it's not worth discussing
an idea worth some thought
-
having a value of
the book is worth 30 pounds
-
to the utmost; to the full extent of one's powers or ability
-
extremely helpful, kind, etc
noun
-
high quality; excellence
-
value, price
-
the amount or quantity of something of a specified value
five pounds worth of petrol
Worth
2
British
/ wɜːθ, vɔrt /
noun
worth
3
British
/ wɜːθ /
verb
worth
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
Etymology
Origin of worth1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English weorth, worth, wurth; cognate with Old High German werd, Old Frisian werth, Old Norse verthr, Gothic wairths
Origin of worth2
First recorded before 900; Middle English worthen, Old English wurthan, weorthan, wyrthan; cognate with German werden, Old Norse vertha, Gothic wairthan “to become,” Latin vertere “to turn”; see verse
Explanation
The noun worth refers to the monetary value of something. If your grandmother gives you a strange old coin from her collection, you can have it appraised to determine its worth. The noun worth also means the inherent value of something based on the qualities of excellence, usefulness or importance. Don't underestimate your worth to the group; the whole bake sale would have fallen apart without you, and your brownies were delicious. As an adjective worth describes something that has a value or deserves to be treated a certain way, like when your hard work baking is worth the effort.
Vocabulary lists containing worth
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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"Sonnet 116"
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"Lindo Jong: Double Face"
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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.
See Examples For:
Employers, including those in the beauty, retail and hospitality sectors, have been hit with £74m worth of civil penalties so far this year.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
If that money passes to the daughter, and she moves it to a brokerage steadily over the course of 10 years, as required, it’s only worth $698,000 to her.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
The agreement is worth billions of dollars over the next several years, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
It’s worth noting that Apple recently raised prices on many products, but the company ascribed those increases to higher costs for memory chips, driven up by intense demand from AI firms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
It wasn’t worth ruining a whole kingdom with her shadows.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
The techs at Underdog Automotive, a mobile-repair business serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area, encourage customers to run their diagnoses and repair quotes through chatbots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Marshals Service early Friday morning to serve a search warrant at a home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and arrest the suspect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Mike Murphy continues his wonderful series of What’s Worth Streaming, reviewing the offerings from eight streaming services and summing up which ones are worth paying for and which ones you should skip for the month.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Lhoist North America, based in Fort Worth, Texas, is an extractor, manufacturer and supplier of lime, limestone and other mineral-based products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
National Archives is in a warehouse, in Fort Worth, Texas, that is bigger than most airport hangars.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
