expect the worst
idiom
: to assume that something very bad will happen
We expect the worst when we return home after the storm passes.
Examples of expect the worst in a Sentence
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Sylvia expects the worst, especially after hearing about Will’s bad experience with couples therapy.
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Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
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Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expect the worst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expect%20the%20worst. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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