worthy

¹

[wur-thee]

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

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

/ 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

noun

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of worthy¹

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

Example Sentences

On the contrary, it makes him the perfect mockumentary subject: a guy with a worthy dream dismissed by those who want him to fail.

From Salon

What makes this book worthy is the author’s fierce self-reckoning: There’s no easy triumph, just more hard work.

From Los Angeles Times

“A lot of people would benefit from that. That’s a worthy goal.”

From Los Angeles Times

But amid this flurry of new releases, you might have missed an album or two worthy of recognition.

From Los Angeles Times

Jillian Michaels’ absence from “Fit for TV” isn’t noticeable because the docuseries positions “The Biggest Loser” as aligning with her view that certain types of people aren’t worthy of consideration or empathy.

From Salon

Related Words

• admirable 
• decent 
• deserving 
• desirable 
• excellent 
• honest 
• laudable 
• noble 
• reliable 
• satisfying www.thesaurus.com
• true 
• trustworthy 
• valuable 
• worthwhile 

When To Use

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.”