What does the word worst means

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English worste, wurste, warste, werste, wirste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic *wirsistaz, superlative form of *ubilaz (“bad, evil”). Cognate with Old Saxon wirsista, wirrista (“worst”), Old High German wirst, wirsesto, wirsisto (“worst”), Danish værst (“worst”), Swedish värst (“worst”), Icelandic verstur (“worst”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wɜːst/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /wɝst/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)st

Adjective[edit]

worst

1. superlative form of bad: most bad
   1. Most inferior; doing the least good.

      I think putting oil on a burn is the worst thing you can do.

   2. Most unfavorable.

      That’s the worst news I’ve had all day.

   3. Most harmful or severe.

      The worst storm we had last winter knocked down our power lines.

   4. 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.

2. superlative form of ill: most ill

   I’m feeling really ill — the worst I’ve felt all week.

Usage notes[edit]

The comparative badder (for worse) and superlative baddest (for worst) derived from the positive bad are nonstandard. Worst may be further inflected to form the two additional superlatives worstest (nonstandard) and worstestest (informal, humorous). The comparative worser is also nonstandard.

Synonyms[edit]

• (most bad): baddest (nonstandard)
• (most ill): illest (nonstandard)

Antonyms[edit]

• best

Derived terms[edit]

[edit]

• worse

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

worst (plural worsts)

1. Something or someone that is the worst.
   • 1991, Don C. Dinkmeyer, Jr. The Encouragement Book: Becoming a Positive Person (page 201)

     The humorist helps people to explore and confront their worsts

Translations[edit]

Adverb[edit]

worst

1. superlative form of badly: most badly

   My sore leg hurts worst when it’s cold and rainy.

   This is the worst-written essay I’ve ever seen.

   She’s the worst-informed of the lot.

2. superlative form of ill: most ill

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

worst (third-person singular simple present worsts, present participle worsting, simple past and past participle worsted)

1. (archaic, transitive) To make worse.
2. (dated, intransitive) To grow worse; to deteriorate.

   • Anne haggard, Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood worsting.

3. (rare) To outdo or defeat, especially in battle.

   • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), 6th edition, London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727, →OCLC:

     The […] Philistines were worsted by the captivated ark.

   • 1869, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women.

     Jo carried her love of liberty and hate of conventionalities to such an unlimited extent that she naturally found herself worsted in an argument.

   • 1894, Constance Garnett (translator); Leo Tolstoy (author), The Kingdom of God is Within You, Kshetra Books, →ISBN, page 73:

     The higher classes see the unions, the strikes, the May Day Celebrations, and feel the calamity that is threatening them, and their terror passes into an instinct of self-defense and hatred. They know that if for one instant they are worsted in the struggle with their oppressed slaves, they will perish, because the slaves are exasperated and their exasperation is growing more intense with every day of oppression.

Quotations[edit]

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:worst.

Anagrams[edit]

• Trows, rowts, strow, trows, worts

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Dutch worst, from Old Dutch *wurst, *worst, from Proto-West Germanic *wursti.

Cognate with Limburgish wósj, Zealandic woste, Old Saxon worst, Middle Low German worst, Plautdietsch Worscht, Old Frisian *wurst, West Frisian woarst, Old High German wurst, Middle High German wurst, German Wurst, Swabian Wurscht, Sathmar Swabian Wurscht, Bavarian Wuascht, Central Franconian Woosch, Luxembourgish Wuuscht, Hunsrik Worst, East Central German Wurscht, Vilamovian wiyśt, East Franconian Woschd, Rhine Franconian Wurscht, Pennsylvania German Warscht, Palatine German Wurst, Yiddish וווּרשט‎ (vursht).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ʋɔrst/
• Hyphenation: worst
• Rhymes: -ɔrst

Noun[edit]

worst f (plural worsten, diminutive worstje n)

1. sausage

Derived terms[edit]

-compounds where worst is the first element:

-compounds where worst is the final element:

Descendants[edit]

• Afrikaans: wors
  • → English: wors
• Jersey Dutch: wârst
• → Papiamentu: wòrs
• → Russian: ворса (vorsa)
• → Sranan Tongo: worst

Middle Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Dutch *wurst, *worst, from Proto-West Germanic *wursti.

Noun[edit]

worst f

1. sausage

Inflection[edit]

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants[edit]

• Dutch: worst
  • Afrikaans: wors
    • → English: wors
  • Jersey Dutch: wârst
  • → Papiamentu: wòrs
  • → Russian: ворса (vorsa)
  • → Sranan Tongo: worst
• Limburgish: wósj

Further reading[edit]

• “worst”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “worst”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

What do we mean by worst?

Most inferior, as in quality, condition, or effect. adjective

Most severe or unfavorable. adjective

Being furthest from an ideal or a standard; least desirable or satisfactory. adjective

In the worst manner or degree. adverb

To gain the advantage over; defeat. transitive verb

Something that is worst. noun

(at (the) worst) Under the most negative circumstances, estimation, or interpretation. idiom

(get/have) To suffer a defeat or disadvantage. idiom

(if (the) worst comes to (the) worst) If the very worst thing happens. idiom

(in the worst way) Very much; a great deal. idiom

In a manner or to a degree the extreme of bad or evil; most or least (according to the sense of the verb).

The superlative of bad, evil, or ill; bad in the highest degree, whether morally, physically, financially, or otherwise: as, the worst sinner; the worst disease; the worst evil that can befall a state or an individual.

That which is most evil or bad; the most bad, severe, aggravated, or calamitous thing, part, time, or state: usually with the: as, in the worst of the storm; to get the worst of a contest; to see a thing at its worst; to do one’s worst. noun

In the most evil, severe, or undesirable state; at the greatest disadvantage. noun

To get the advantage over in a contest; defeat; overthrow.

Synonyms To beat, discomfit, foil, overcome.

To grow worse; deteriorate; worsen.

To grow worse; to deteriorate. intransitive verb

Bad, evil, or pernicious, in the highest degree, whether in a physical or moral sense. See worse.

To gain advantage over, in contest or competition; to get the better of; to defeat; to overthrow; to discomfit. transitive verb

Unfavorable; negative; not good.

Not suitable or fitting.

Not appropriate, of manners etc.

Unhealthy; liable to cause health problems.

Sickly, unhealthy, unwell.

Not behaving; behaving badly; misbehaving; mischievous or disobedient.

Tricky; stressful; unpleasant.

Evil; wicked.

Faulty; not functional.

(of food) Spoiled, rotten, overripe.

(of breath) Malodorous; foul.

False; counterfeit; illegitimate.

Unskilled; of limited ability; not good.

Of poor physical appearance.

Bold and daring.

Good, superlative, excellent, cool.

(of a need, want, or pain) Severe, urgent.

Overly promiscuous, licentious.

(of a draft/check) Not covered by funds on account.

Used by itself without nouns or adjectives. commonly said when something you dislike occurs. Urban Dictionary

1) the least good
2) the most ungood Urban Dictionary

When you have to wake up every day at 7 am to go to school is BAD.
Then when you go to univeristy, you experience excitement in not waking up so early , but when you have to do it is WORSE than waking up everyday like that.
The WORST is when you have a job after university and have to go back to the initial 7 am waking up schedule. Urban Dictionary

Something really bad or really good! Same as «the shit» in modern parlance. Urban Dictionary

The opposite of Safe, can also be a noun. Urban Dictionary

The farthest from the best. The most horrible. The pits. To have nothing good. Urban Dictionary

A person that gives you the least helpful answer possible to a question you ask them. Urban Dictionary

1. Moderately to extremely bad.
2. Not good.
3. Exclamation of badness Urban Dictionary

A term used for describing someone who is more than just very attractive Urban Dictionary

Definition of worst
1: Greg. The most corrupt, bad, evil, or ill his worst fault — deceptive and manipulative; Greg is beyond an asshole.
2a :most unfavorable, difficult, unpleasant, or painfully your worst enemy. He is a twat waffle. Douche bag at his finest.
b :most unsuitable, faulty, unattractive, or ill-conceived has the worst table manners — Greg picks his nose
c :least skillful or desirable theworst person ever
3:most wanting in quality, value, or condition the worst results
superlative of bador of ill
— the worst person ever, EVER. Urban Dictionary

наихудший, злейший, наихудшее, хуже всего, одержать верх

прилагательное ↓

существительное ↓

наречие ↓

глагол ↓

Словосочетания

the worst player on the team — худший игрок в команде  
the worst weather of the year — худшая погода в году  
to do one’s worst — из кожи вон лезть  
to be one’s own worst enemy — быть самому себе злейшим врагом  
worst case — наихудший случай  
worst-case conditions — наихудшие условия  
worst case criterion — критерий наихудшего случая  
worst-case design — расчет по наихудшему варианту  
worst possible error — максимально возможная погрешность  
worst-case loading — наихудший вариант нагрузки  
at worst — в худшем случае  
at the worst possible time — в самое неподходящее время  

Примеры с переводом

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Возможные однокоренные слова

worsted  — камвольный, гарус, ткань из гребенной шерсти

April 11, 2023
All Dictionary

worst meaning in General Dictionary

to the highest level of inferiority or badness

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• (superlative of `bad’) most desiring in quality or worth or problem
• the smallest amount of favorable outcome
• defeat thoroughly
• the maximum harm or wickedness of which you’re capable
• the weakest energy or poorest achievement you’re effective at
• Bad wicked or pernicious in highest level whether in an actual or ethical feeling See Worse
• what is many bad or evil probably the most extreme pernicious calamitous or wicked state or degree
• To gain advantage on in competition or competition to obtain the much better of to beat to overthrow to discomfit
• to develop worse to deteriorate
• Bad, bad, or pernicious, in the greatest level, whether in
  a physical or ethical sense. See Worse.
• what is most bad or wicked; more extreme, pernicious,
  calamitous, or wicked state or level.
• to achieve advantage over, in contest or competitors; to get
  the greater of; to beat; to overthrow; to discomfit.
• To grow more serious; to deteriorate.

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worst meaning in Etymology Dictionary

Old English wyrresta, from Proto-Germanic *wers-ista- (cognates: Old Saxon wirsista, Old Norse verstr, Old Frisian wersta, Old tall German wirsisto), superlative of PIE *wers- (1) «to confuse, mix up» (see war (letter.)). Phrase into the worst means (1839) is from American English sense of «most severely.» The adverb is Old English wyrst; the noun, «what is most evil or bad,» is from late 14c.

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• «damage, inflict reduction upon,» c.1600, from worst (adj.). Meaning «defeat in debate» is from 1650s. Related: Worsted; worsting.

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worst meaning in General Dictionary

(letter.) Whatever is many bad or bad; the essential serious, pernicious, calamitous, or wicked state or level.

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• (a.) To get advantage on, in contest or competition; to obtain the much better of; to defeat; to overthrow; to discomfit.
• (v. i.) to cultivate worse; to deteriorate.

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Sentence Examples with the word worst

The elections were controlled for a few years, and violence was checked, but the Ku Klux movement went on until it accomplished its object by giving protection to the whites, reducing the blacks to order, replacing the whites in control of society and state, expelling the worst of the carpet-baggers and scalawags, and nullifying those laws of Congress which had resulted in placing the Southern whites under the control of a party composed principally of ex-slaves.

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