worth

¹worth

intransitive verb \ˈwərth\

Definition of WORTH

archaic

: become —usually used in the phrase woe worth

Origin of WORTH

Middle English, from Old English weorthan; akin to Old High German werdan to become, Latin vertere to turn, Lithuanian versti to overturn, Sanskrit vartate he turns

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with WORTH

berth, birth, dearth, earth, firth, girth, mirth, Perth

²worth

adjective

Definition of WORTH

1

archaic : having monetary or material value

2

archaic : estimable

— for all one is worth

: to the fullest extent of one's value or ability

Origin of WORTH

Middle English, from Old English weorth worthy, of (a specified) value; akin to Old High German werd worthy, worth

First Known Use: before 12th century

³worth

noun

Definition of WORTH

1

a : monetary value <farmhouse and lands of little worth>

b : the equivalent of a specified amount or figure <a dollar's worth of gas>

2

: the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held <a literary heritage of great worth>

3

a : moral or personal value <trying to teach human worth>

b : merit, excellence <a field in which we have proved our worth>

4

: wealth, riches

Examples of WORTH

1. A diamond's worth is determined partly by its cut and clarity.
2. The worth of the stocks has increased.
3. The furniture was of little worth since it was in such bad condition.
4. He has proved his worth to the team.
5. The book has proved its worth by saving me hundreds of dollars.

First Known Use of WORTH

before 12th century

Related to WORTH

Synonyms

account, merit, valuation, value

Related Words

assessment, estimation, evaluation; excellence, greatness, perfection; consequence, importance, significance, weight; desirability

Near Antonyms

emptiness, valuelessness, worthlessness; baseness, cheapness, crumminess, inferiority, lousiness, meanness, paltriness, pettiness, poorness; deficiency, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, unacceptability

⁴worth

preposition

Definition of WORTH

1

a : equal in value to

b : having assets or income equal to

2

: deserving of <well worth the effort>

— worth one's salt

: of substantial or significant value or merit

Examples of WORTH

1. an actor worth several million dollars
2. The corporation is worth billions of dollars.
3. A carefully written cover letter and resume is worth the effort.
4. It takes a long time to get a table at the restaurant, but the food is well worth the wait.
5. The movie was good, but I didn't think it was worth all the fuss.
6. Chicago is worth a visit. I think you'll really like it.
7. Do you think the car is worth buying?
8. It is worth noting that his father and mother are also doctors.
9. This book is not worth reading.
10. an idea well worth consideration

First Known Use of WORTH

13th century