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:
The task force pushed for grants rather than a tax credit, arguing that budgets this small don’t generate enough tax liability for a credit to be worth much.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Under the changes, the weighting given to the benefits brought by companies will be doubled, from 10% to 20% for contracts worth £5m or more, the Cabinet Office said.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
From January through May, China exported $13.96 billion worth of solar cells and panels, up 26 percent from $11.07 billion during the same period last year, official customs data reviewed by AFP showed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Each month, she pays around $400 for a storage unit to keep the goods and resells around $3,000 worth through Whatnot and Poshmark, another resale platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
And it would have been worth the risk, if I could see him.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
The companies showcased one of the GB300 superchip modules made at Fort Worth at an opening ceremony on Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The Fort Worth, Texas, native was married to Clarkson for nine years, and the pair welcomed two children together during their relationship: River, now 12, and Remington, now 10.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 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
Worth and the Bay Area, FuelFest, a global car-enthusiast festival, will cruise into the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on June 13.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
And as I watched him strike at the walls with that broom like he chased after bats, I could only imagine what John Worth tried to outrun that night.
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
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.
