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Synonyms

worthy

1 American  
[wur-thee] / ˈwɜr ði /

adjective

worthier, worthiest

  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.
    Synonyms:
    honorable, upright, exemplary, excellent, estimable, worthwhile, meritorious, deserving

noun

plural

worthies

  1. a person of eminent worth, merit, or position.

    The town worthies included two doctors.
-worthy 2 American  

  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.

worthy British  
/ ˈwɜːðɪ /

adjective

  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

"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

noun

  1. facetious a person of distinguished character, merit, or importance

"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

Usage

What does -worthy mean? The combining form -worthy is used like a suffix meaning “deserving of,” "fit for," or "capable of travel in or on." It is occasionally used in a variety of everyday and technical terms.The form -worthy comes from Old English -wyrðe, meaning “worthy.”

Other Word Forms

  • preworthily adverb
  • preworthy adjective
  • worthily adverb
  • worthiness noun

Etymology

Origin of worthy

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; worth 1, -y 1

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.

Approved for construction in 2019, it was billed as a state-of-the-art venue worthy of Manchester's rich musical legacy.

From BBC

Several expressed disappointment in the execution of a project they considered both worthy and necessary.

From The Wall Street Journal

"You constantly have to prove you are worthy of doing the job, and on an equal footing with others."

From BBC

But instead Andrew remained part of the Royal Family, appearing at national events, at cross-purposes to the worthier efforts of his elder brother.

From BBC

This was a happy ending worthy of Dickens or Trollope.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.