What does "worst" mean?
Something or someone that is the worst.
Worst
/wɜːst/ adj, adv, name, noun, verb
adj, adv, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something or someone that is the worst.
- Grammar: worst is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abominable, arrant, atrocious, awful.
- Useful contrasts: best, optimal, baddest.
- Usage evidence: Let's consider the worst that could happen.
How to use "worst"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "worst" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "worst" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "worst" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "worst" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "worst" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abominable" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "worst", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something or someone that is the worst.
"The humorist helps people to explore and confront their worsts"
- 2 the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of wordnet
- 3 the greatest damage or wickedness of which one is capable wordnet
- 4 the least favorable outcome wordnet
Verb
- 1 To make worse. archaic, transitive
- 2 defeat thoroughly wordnet
- 3 To grow worse; to deteriorate. dated, intransitive
"Anne haggard, Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood worsting."
- 4 To outdo or defeat, especially in battle. rare
"The […] Philistines were worsted by the captivated ark."
Adjective
- 1 superlative form of bad: most bad; Most inferior; doing the least good.
"I think putting oil on a burn is the worst thing you can do."
- 2 superlative form of bad: most bad; Most unfavorable.
"That's the worst news I've had all day."
- 3 superlative form of bad: most bad; Most harmful or severe.
"The worst storm we had last winter knocked down our power lines."
- 4 superlative form of bad: most bad; Used with the definite article and an implied noun: something that is worst.
"None of these photographs of me are good, but this one is definitely the worst."
Adjective
- 1 (superlative of ‘bad’) most wanting in quality or value or condition wordnet
Adverb
- 1 superlative form of badly: most badly; least well. form-of, superlative
"My sore leg hurts worst when it's cold and rainy."
Adverb
- 1 to the highest degree of inferiority or badness wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from German.
Example
"Let's consider the worst that could happen."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "worst"?
Common synonyms include: abominable, arrant, atrocious, awful, awful, baddest.
How do you use "worst" in a sentence?
Let's consider the worst that could happen.
How do you pronounce "worst"?
Pronounced /wɜːst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English worste, wurste, warste, werste, wirste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic *wirsistaz, superlative form of *ubilaz (“bad, evil”); compare worse. Cognate with Old Saxon wirsista, wirrista (“worst”), Old High German wirst, wirsesto, wirsisto (“worst”), Danish værst (“worst”), Swedish värst (“worst”), Icelandic verstur (“worst”).
Etymology 2
Borrowed from German Worst, a variant of Wurst (“sausage”).