worthy

1 of 3

adjective

wor·​thy ˈwər-t͟hē How to pronounce worthy (audio)
worthier; worthiest
1
a
: having worth or value : estimable
a worthy cause
b
: honorable, meritorious
worthy candidates
2
: having sufficient worth or importance
worthy to be remembered
worthily adverb
worthiness noun

worthy

2 of 3

noun

plural worthies
: a worthy or prominent person

-worthy

3 of 3

adjective combining form

1
: fit or safe for
a seaworthy vessel
2
: of sufficient worth for
a newsworthy event

Examples of worthy in a Sentence

Adjective Your donations will be going to a worthy cause. I consider him a worthy opponent. She is a worthy successor to the mayor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Big win for a one-of-a-kind show, for Netflix (which also had in contention the eminently worthy Ripley) and — for the third time tonight — Richard Gadd. Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sep. 2024 Explore Sustainable Eateries There are worthy exceptions to the always-eat-on-the-water rule. Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2024
Noun
Ranged about him is a sculpted gallery of Communism’s great dictators, many of whom, like Lenin, had to be hoisted gasping out of the mud, along with a sprinkling of other worthies. Christopher Helman, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023 And again, the Wednesday dance is time-capsule worthy. Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for worthy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'worthy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worthy was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near worthy

Cite this Entry

“Worthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worthy. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

worthy

1 of 2 adjective
wor·​thy ˈwər-t͟hē How to pronounce worthy (audio)
worthier; worthiest
1
a
: having worth or value
a worthy cause
b
: honorable sense 1
worthy candidates
2
: having enough value or excellence
a student worthy of the prize
worthily adverb
worthiness noun

worthy

2 of 2 noun
plural worthies
: a worthy person

More from Merriam-Webster on worthy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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