worthy

[ wur-thee ]
See synonyms for: worthyworthierworthiesworthiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,wor·thi·er, wor·thi·est.
  1. having adequate or great merit, character, or value: a worthy successor.

  2. of commendable excellence or merit; deserving of one's time, attention, interest, work, trouble, etc.: a book worthy of praise;a person worthy to lead.

noun,plural wor·thies.
  1. a person of eminent worth, merit, or position: The town worthies included two doctors.

Origin of worthy

1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; see origin at worth1, -y1

Other words for worthy

Other words from worthy

  • wor·thi·ly, adverb
  • wor·thi·ness, noun
  • pre·wor·thi·ly, adverb
  • pre·wor·thy, adjective

Words Nearby worthy

Other definitions for -worthy (2 of 2)

-worthy

  1. a combining form of worthy, occurring in adjectives that have the general sense “deserving of, fit for” (blameworthy; newsworthy; noteworthy; trustworthy), “capable of travel in or on” (airworthy; roadworthy; seaworthy), as specified by the first word of the compound.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use worthy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for worthy

worthy

/ (ˈwɜːðɪ) /


adjective-thier or -thiest
  1. (postpositive; often foll by of or an infinitive) having sufficient merit or value (for something or someone specified); deserving

  2. having worth, value, or merit

nounplural -thies
  1. often facetious a person of distinguished character, merit, or importance

Derived forms of worthy

  • worthily, adverb
  • worthiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012