worthy of the name

Idioms

Deserving a name or description, as in Any artist worthy of the name can draw better than that. This expression uses worthy of in the sense of “deserving by reason of merit,” a usage dating from about 1300.

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.

"Yet our town doesn't have a single public shelter worthy of the name."

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

Just four sets dropped across the entire tournament, with any perceived blips or wobbles not really worthy of the name.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

The only Santa Claus rally worthy of the name doesn’t arrive until Christmas — just like the big man himself.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025

It’s most notable for a cast worthy of the name “all-stars”; they are TV stars, mostly, but that is a noble breed, and not every movie actor can translate big-screen charisma to the smaller one.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2024

What distinguishes the American Revolution from most, if not all, subsequent revolutions worthy of the name is that in the battle for supremacy, for the “true meaning” of the Revolution, neither side completely triumphed.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023