superlative of bad
or of ill
1
: most corrupt, bad, evil, or ill
his worst fault
2
a
: most unfavorable, difficult, unpleasant, or painful
the worst news
your worst enemy
b
: most unsuitable, faulty, unattractive, or ill-conceived
has the worst table manners
c
: least skillful or efficient
the worst person for the job
3
: most wanting in quality, value, or condition
the worst results
superlative of ill
or illy
or of bad
or badly
1
: to the extreme degree of badness or inferiority
the worst dressed person
2
: to the greatest or highest degree
groups who need the subsidies worst lose out—
T. W. Arnold
T. W. Arnold
Phrases
the worst way
: very much
such men … need indoctrination the worst way—J. G. Cozzens
—often used with inJ. G. Cozzenswanted a new bicycle in the worst way
: under the worst circumstances
Examples of worst in a Sentence
Adjective
This is the worst car I've ever bought.
In my opinion, it's her worst book.
It was the worst movie I've ever seen.
His worst quality is his impatience.
This has got to be the worst day of my life.
The worst part of working there is the long commute.
My worst fears came true.
He lives in the worst area of the city.
He is the worst singer I've ever heard.
They're the worst team ever.
Adverb
My sister was hurt worst.
the areas worst hit by the drought
She was voted the worst-dressed celebrity of 2005.
Noun
What's the worst that can happen?
When it comes to dancing, he is the worst.
That movie was the worst!
He is the worst of the bunch.
He is one of the worst in the class.
Even in the worst of times, she was hopeful.
It's still raining, but the worst of the storm is over now.
The worst of it is, I don't even know how to contact her.
The company was operating on high costs and low prices—the worst of both worlds.
Verb
how humiliating for a tennis champ to be worsted by a player no one had ever heard of
Recent Examples on the Web
C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Feb. 2023
Continue below to see the top 10 best and worst cities for football fans in 2023.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2023
Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Testifying Before Congress, Is Confused for Roger Stone by GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert
As part of Biden’s inner circle, Katzenberg has been blamed for (at best) failing to recognize the president’s decline or (at worst) covering up for it.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Expect the Panthers to move on from Jackson, who allowed a 123.6 passer rating and 75.9 completion percentage when targeted, both career worsts.
—Joseph Person, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worst
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
But all of that would’ve been forgiven if Golden State’s offense didn’t cool down at the worst possible time.
—C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Feb. 2023
Continue below to see the top 10 best and worst cities for football fans in 2023.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2023
Adverb
The areas worst hit are in the center of Myanmar, which is controlled by the military junta.
—Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Testifying Before Congress, Is Confused for Roger Stone by GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert
As part of Biden’s inner circle, Katzenberg has been blamed for (at best) failing to recognize the president’s decline or (at worst) covering up for it.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
These matches volunteer plenty of loveless firsts and worsts.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Expect the Panthers to move on from Jackson, who allowed a 123.6 passer rating and 75.9 completion percentage when targeted, both career worsts.
—Joseph Person, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worst
Cite this Entry
“Worst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worst. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
worst
1 of 4 adjectivesuperlative of bad
or of ill
1
: most bad, evil, or ill
his worst habit
2
a
: most unfavorable, unpleasant, or painful
the worst problem imaginable
b
: most unsuitable, faulty, unattractive, or ill-conceived
has the worst manners
c
: least skillful or efficient
the worst plumber you can hire
3
: most wanting in quality, value, or condition
farmed the worst land
worst
3 of 4 noun1
: one that is worst
always chooses the worst
2
: the greatest degree of ill or badness
if worse comes to worst
worst
4 of 4 verb
: to get the better of : defeat
worsted his opponents
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