worth
1 Americanpreposition
-
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.
verb (used without object)
noun
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
noun
verb
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
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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:
Jobe joined Dortmund from Sunderland in summer 2025 in a deal worth up to £31m, having helped the Wearside club win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
“That doesn’t automatically make it a bad recommendation, but it’s a potential conflict of interest worth investigating.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
They sparked a race to evacuate as much as $4 billion worth of aircraft stationed there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
“And it’s not just the landscape — it’s also all the people, the houses. Everything is just a little different and unique and well worth all the logistical challenges of shooting up here.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
The smile on his face, which I put there, is worth all the sleepless nights, the missed swim practices and extra assignments.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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PUF contributed $66 million for a new building on its Fort Worth campus that features classrooms and lab space for its healthcare and teacher education programs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
During Texas campaign stops in Fort Worth, Texarkana and Tyler, for example, Talarico almost appeared to be running against Musk instead of Paxton.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
"I still dumpster dive every day by bicycle," says the 72-year old, who lives in Fort Worth, and has written books on the topic.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Two weeks ago, Worth Girvan’s campaign published an ad featuring Christina Rackohn, a former employee whose family company merged with Gaspar’s insurance company, who alleged he created a hostile work environment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
And I wondered just how dark John Worth had to be inside to say such things.
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.