worth

¹

[wurth]

preposition

1. good or important enough to justify (what is specified).

   advice worth taking;

   a place worth visiting.

2. having a value of, or equal in value to, as in money.

   This vase is worth 12 dollars.

3. having property to the value or amount of.

   They are worth millions.

noun

1. excellence of character or quality as commanding esteem.

   women of worth.

2. usefulness or importance, as to the world, to a person, or for a purpose.

   Your worth to the world is inestimable.

3. value, as in money.

4. a quantity of something of a specified value.

   ten cents' worth of candy.

5. wealth; riches; property or possessions.

   net worth.

worth

²

[wurth]

verb (used without object)

Archaic.

1. to happen or betide.

   woe worth the day.

Worth

³

[wurth]

noun

1. a town in NE Illinois.

worth

¹

/ wɜːθ /

adjective

1. worthy of; meriting or justifying

   it's not worth discussing

   an idea worth some thought

2. having a value of

   the book is worth 30 pounds

3. to the utmost; to the full extent of one's powers or ability

4. extremely helpful, kind, etc

noun

1. high quality; excellence

2. value, price

3. the amount or quantity of something of a specified value

   five pounds worth of petrol

Worth

²

/ wɜːθ, vɔrt /

noun

1. Charles Frederick. 1825–95, English couturier, who founded Parisian haute couture

worth

³

/ wɜːθ /

verb

1. archaic,  (intr) to happen or betide (esp in the phrase woe worth the day )

Word History and Origins

Origin of worth¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English weorth, worth, wurth; cognate with Old High German werd, Old Frisian werth, Old Norse verthr, Gothic wairths

Origin of worth²

First recorded before 900; Middle English worthen, Old English wurthan, weorthan, wyrthan; cognate with German werden, Old Norse vertha, Gothic wairthan “to become,” Latin vertere “to turn”; verse

Word History and Origins

Origin of worth¹

Old English weorth; related to Old Saxon, Old High German werth (German Wert ), Old Norse verthr, Gothic wairths

Origin of worth²

Old English weorthan; related to Old Frisian wertha, Old Saxon, Old High German werthan (German werden ), Old Norse vertha, Gothic wairthan, Latin vertere to turn

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. for all one is worth, to the utmost.

   He ran for all he was worth.

2. for what it’s worth, whether or not (what is stated) is useful or important enough to justify.

   For what it’s worth, I think you should apologize to him.

More idioms and phrases containing worth

• for all one is worth
• game is not worth the candle
• get one's money's worth
• not worth a damn
• picture is worth a thousand words

Synonym Study

See desert. See value.

Example Sentences

In the decade since his retirement in 2015, America has endured enough material for a lifetime’s worth of political cartooning.

From Salon

"Is one person worth that much?" he asked.

From BBC

The policy had allowed companies to ship online orders worth $800 or less into the US without having to pay import duties.

From BBC

The White House said Japan has committed to buying $8bn worth of US goods a year - including agricultural products, fertilisers and bioethanol.

From BBC

The shipyard at Rosyth in Fife is expected to win a contract to build four frigates for the Danish navy, worth more than £1billion.

From BBC

Related Words

• account 
• aid 
• benefit 
• cost 
• credit 
• price 
• quality 
• rate 
• valuation