worth

¹ American  

[wurth] / wɜrθ /

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.

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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.

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.

worth ² American  

[wurth] / wɜrθ /

verb (used without object)

Archaic.

1. to happen or betide.

   woe worth the day.

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Worth ³ American  

[wurth] / wɜrθ /

noun

1. a town in NE Illinois.

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worth ¹ British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ wɜːθ, vɔrt /

noun

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

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worth ³ British  

/ wɜːθ /

verb

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

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worth More Idioms  

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

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Related Words

See desert. See value.

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.

Example Sentences

To potentially profit from the situation—and this applies for indexes and equities—two strategies are worth considering.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

“So that’s something worth celebrating, that we have this incredible place that maybe shouldn’t have existed in the first place, maybe shouldn’t have stuck around, and yet it does.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

And the effort worth expending on collecting evidence depends on the importance of the decision—something Sutherland rates on a scale of 1 to 7.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

Between 27 December and 2 January, the US Army officer purchased about $33,934 worth of bets related to Maduro and Venezuela, the indictment unsealed last week says.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

“And you and Lloyd can tote the ladder home between you. It’s heavy, but I guess it’s worth it to you. I’m making for home now. I don’t want to know.”

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

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