What does "worthy" mean?
A distinguished or eminent person.
Worthy
/ˈwɜːði/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A distinguished or eminent person.
- Grammar: worthy is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: able, acceptable, acceptable person, admirable.
- Useful contrasts: bad, abject, base assumption.
- Usage evidence: Even the worthy Homer sometimes nods.
How to use "worthy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "worthy" 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 "worthy" 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 "worthy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "worthy" 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 "worthy" is acting as adj, 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 "able" 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 "worthy", 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 A distinguished or eminent person.
"That worthy one day, in our absence, being caught in the act of culpable talpicide, was rebuked by his mistress for disobeying his master's orders."
- 2 an important, honorable person (word is often used humorously) wordnet
- 3 a good, wise and virtuous person.
"Confucius and Mencius are revered as the Sages and Worthies of Confucianism."
Verb
- 1 To render or treat as worthy. transitive
"And put upon him such a deal of man, That worthied him, got praises of the king […]"
Adjective
- 1 Having worth, merit, or value.
"These banished men that I have kept withal / Are men endued with worthy qualities"
- 2 Admirable or honourable.
"that such iron moulds as these shall have autority to knaw out the choicest periods of exquisitest books, and to commit such a treacherous fraud against the orphan remainders of worthiest men after death, the more sorrow will belong to that haples race of men, whose misfortune it is to have understanding."
- 3 Deserving, or having sufficient worth.
"1 And I saw in þe right hand of him that sate on the Throne, a booke written within, & on the backeside, sealed with seuen seales. 2 And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loude voice; Who is worthy to open the booke, and to loose the seales thereof? 3 And no man in heauen, nor in earth, neither vnder the earth, was able to open the booke, neither to looke thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open, and to reade the booke, neither to looke thereon."
- 4 Suited; suitable; befitting.
"No, Warwick, thou art worthy of the sway."
Adjective
- 1 worthy of being chosen especially as a spouse wordnet
- 2 having qualities or abilities that merit recognition in some way wordnet
- 3 having worth or merit or value; being honorable or admirable wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Even the worthy Homer sometimes nods."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "worthy"?
Common synonyms include: able, acceptable, acceptable person, admirable, admirable, admissible.
How do you use "worthy" in a sentence?
Even the worthy Homer sometimes nods.
How do you pronounce "worthy"?
Pronounced /ˈwɜːði/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English worthy, wurthi, from Old English *weorþiġ (“worthy”), equivalent to worth + -y. Cognate with Dutch waardig (“worthy”), Middle Low German werdig (“worthy”), German würdig (“worthy”), Swedish värdig (“worthy”), Icelandic verðugt (“worthy”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English worthien, wurthien, from Old English weorþian (“to esteem, honor, worship, distinguish, celebrate, exalt, praise, adorn, deck, enrich, reward”), from Proto-Germanic *werþōną (“to be worthy, estimate, appreciate, appraise”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with German werten (“to rate, judge, grade, score”), Swedish värdera (“to evaluate, rate, size up, assess, estimate”), Icelandic virða (“to respect, esteem”).
Etymology 3
Possibly from worthy.