worst

American  

[wurst] / wɜrst /

adjective

1. bad or ill in the highest, greatest, or most extreme degree.

   the worst person.

2. most faulty, unsatisfactory, or objectionable.

   the worst paper submitted.

3. most unfavorable or injurious.

4. in the poorest condition.

   the worst house on the block.

5. most unpleasant, unattractive, or disagreeable.

   the worst personality I've ever known.

6. most lacking in skill; least skilled.

   He’s the worst player on the team.

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noun

1. that which is worst.

adverb

1. in the most evil, wicked, severe, or disadvantageous manner.

2. with the most severity, intensity, etc.; in the greatest degree.

verb (used with object)

1. to defeat; beat.

   He worsted him easily.

idioms

1. if worst comes to worst, if the very worst happens.

   If worst comes to worst, we still have some money in reserve.

2. in the worst way, in an extreme degree; very much: Also the worst way.

   She wanted a new robe for Christmas in the worst way.

3. get the worst of, to be defeated in; experience the most harm from.

   New Jersey got the worst of the storm.

4. at worst, if the worst happens; under the worst conditions: Also at the worst.

   He will be expelled from school, at worst.

worst British  

/ wɜːst /

adjective

1. the superlative of bad 1

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adverb

1. in the most extreme or bad manner or degree

2. least well, suitably, or acceptably

3. (in combination) in or to the smallest degree or extent; least

   worst-loved

noun

1. the least good or most inferior person, thing, or part in a group, narrative, etc

2. (often preceded by at) the most poor, unpleasant, or unskilled quality or condition

   television is at its worst these days

3. the greatest amount of damage or wickedness of which a person or group is capable

   the invaders came and did their worst

4. the weakest effort or poorest achievement that a person or group is capable of making

   the applicant did his worst at the test because he did not want the job

5. 1. in the least favourable interpretation or view

   2. under the least favourable conditions

6. if all the more desirable alternatives become impossible or if the worst possible thing happens

7. to enjoy the least benefit from an issue or be defeated in it

verb

1. (tr) to get the advantage over; defeat or beat

worst More Idioms  

1. see at worst; get (have) the worst of it; if worst comes to worst; in the worst way. Also see under worse.

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Usage

What is a basic definition of worst? Worst describes something as being bad in the highest degree possible. Worst is also used to mean a thing that is the baddest possible and to mean something done in the baddest manner possible. Worst has several other senses as an adjective, adverb, noun, and verb. Worst is a superlative of the word bad. Simply put, worst describes something as being the baddest out of a group, category, list, and the like. This can mean something is most evil, is least skilled, is most unsatisfactory, is of the poorest quality, or is most unpleasant. What someone thinks of as the worst something depends on what they’re judging that thing on. As with bad, worst is often a person’s opinion.

• Real-life examples: Everybody has a movie that they think is the worst (poorest quality or most unpleasant to watch) movie ever made. The worst student in a class could be the one who scores the lowest on tests or the one who misbehaves the most. A runner who records the worst time in a race is the one who ran the slowest. The worst person you know might be the one with the most unpleasant personality or who treats you the most poorly.
• Used in a sentence: Jessica got a 50 on the test, making her grade the worst in the class. 

In this same sense, worst as a noun means something is the baddest out of a group. This sense is almost always phrased as “the worst.”

• Real-life examples: A person who is the least skilled at painting among a group of painters is the worst. A pie that is the least pleasant to eat out of a group of pies is the worst.
• Used in a sentence: I have played a lot of bad video games, but that one is the worst of them all. 

As an adverb, worst is the superlative of the word badly and describes something as being done in as bad a manner as possible.

• Used in a sentence: We didn’t get any runners on base, making today’s baseball game the worst one this year.

Etymology

Origin of worst

First recorded before 900; Middle English worste (adjective, adverb, and noun), Old English wur(re)sta, wyr(re)st, wer(re)sta (adjective and adverb); cognate with Old Norse verstr; see worse, -est ¹

Explanation

The adjective worst describes the thing that is the least good, like this awful pizza, the worst we've ever had in our lives. Worst means "the least favorable outcome." You may have heard the saying "hope for the best but expect the worst." Well, it you get the worst, you know there is nothing more bad than that. If you are at your worst, you have never before felt or performed this poorly. Don't confuse worst with worse, which compares only two things. Your cold might be worse than your brother's but dad's is the worst of all.

Example Sentences

The world’s worst outbreaks occurred between 2013 and 2016, beginning in Guinea and sweeping through Sierra Leone and Liberia and leading to more than 11,000 deaths.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Combine that with the worst minor league system and worst owner and that makes them the winner of the MLB Losers Triple Crown.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026

Questions have been asked about the squad's mentality, with accusations of players "downing tools" this term, having the worst disciplinary record in the division, and a poor record in key matches.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

The best thing to say about the U.S.–China summit in Beijing on Thursday and Friday is that our allies’ worst fears didn’t come true.

From Slate • May 16, 2026

“It’s the worst thing in the world to have someone you love taken away from you,” he continued.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• calamity
• catastrophe