worth

¹

[wurth]

preposition

1. good or important enough to justify (what is specified).

   advice worth taking;

   a place worth visiting.

2. having a value of, or equal in value to, as in money.

   This vase is worth 12 dollars.

3. having property to the value or amount of.

   They are worth millions.

noun

1. excellence of character or quality as commanding esteem.

   women of worth.

2. usefulness or importance, as to the world, to a person, or for a purpose.

   Your worth to the world is inestimable.

3. value, as in money.

4. a quantity of something of a specified value.

   ten cents' worth of candy.

5. wealth; riches; property or possessions.

   net worth.

worth

²

[wurth]

verb (used without object)

Archaic.

1. to happen or betide.

   woe worth the day.

Worth

³

[wurth]

noun

1. a town in NE Illinois.

worth

¹

/ wɜːθ /

adjective

1. worthy of; meriting or justifying

   it's not worth discussing

   an idea worth some thought

2. having a value of

   the book is worth 30 pounds

3. to the utmost; to the full extent of one's powers or ability

4. extremely helpful, kind, etc

noun

1. high quality; excellence

2. value, price

3. the amount or quantity of something of a specified value

   five pounds worth of petrol

Worth

²

/ wɜːθ, vɔrt /

noun

1. Charles Frederick. 1825–95, English couturier, who founded Parisian haute couture

worth

³

/ wɜːθ /

verb

1. archaic,  (intr) to happen or betide (esp in the phrase woe worth the day )

Word History and Origins

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”; verse

Word History and Origins

Origin of worth¹

Old English weorth; related to Old Saxon, Old High German werth (German Wert ), Old Norse verthr, Gothic wairths

Origin of worth²

Old English weorthan; related to Old Frisian wertha, Old Saxon, Old High German werthan (German werden ), Old Norse vertha, Gothic wairthan, Latin vertere to turn

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. for all one is worth, to the utmost.

   He ran for all he was worth.

2. 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.

More idioms and phrases containing worth

• for all one is worth
• game is not worth the candle
• get one's money's worth
• not worth a damn
• picture is worth a thousand words

Synonym Study

See desert. See value.

Example Sentences

"If you steal a phone and it's worth hundreds of pounds you can understand why criminals who are one step ahead and want to exploit new crimes are turning to that world."

From BBC

Over a month's worth of worldwide production was lost.

From BBC

It is also worth noting that almost all the women we did speak to in Mazan last week did not share the mayor's desire to see the Pelicot case as, primarily, something to "move beyond".

From BBC

Only 23% of those surveyed said the Republican position was worth a shutdown, while 28% said the same of Democrats' argument.

From BBC

The commercial poultry sector is worth around £500m a year to the Northern Ireland economy.

From BBC

Related Words

• account 
• aid 
• benefit 
• cost 
• credit 
• price 
• quality 
• rate 
• valuation