worthwhile
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- worthwhileness noun
Etymology
Origin of worthwhile
Explanation
Things that are worthwhile are good — they're worth the time or money you spend on them. If you walked out of the theater and said "Wow, I'm glad I saw that movie!", then your film viewing trip was worthwhile. If going to the gym helped you get in better shape, it was worthwhile. If hanging out in the park made you happy, it was worthwhile. If something is a total waste of time and you wish you hadn't done it, then it wasn't worthwhile.
Vocabulary lists containing worthwhile
Because of Mr. Terupt
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List 9
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"The Ugly One," Vocabulary from Chapters 21-25
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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.
But US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that a "small bit of economic pain" was worthwhile for long-term international security.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Whichever world Mr. Soderbergh decides to visit, he invariably makes the trip worthwhile.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Sections of Australia, though, question whether these inquiries and prosecutions are a worthwhile pursuit.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
The fancy buckets are expensive to produce, but Cinemark considers them worthwhile because they augment popcorn and soda sales, he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
She wanted to, yes, but maybe she didn’t have that thing that makes it all worthwhile, whether you hit it big like Picasso or not: the need to.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
