worth1

[wurth] /wɜrθ/
preposition
1.
good or important enough to justify (what is specified):
advice worth taking; a place worth visiting.
2.
having a value of, or equal in value to, as in money:
This vase is worth 12 dollars.
3.
having property to the value or amount of:
They are worth millions.
noun
4.
excellence of character or quality as commanding esteem:
women of worth.
5.
usefulness or importance, as to the world, to a person, or for a purpose:
Your worth to the world is inestimable.
6.
value, as in money.
7.
a quantity of something of a specified value:
ten cents' worth of candy.
8.
wealth; riches; property or possessions:
net worth.
Idioms
9.
for all one is worth, Informal. to the utmost:
He ran for all he was worth.
10.
for what it’s worth, whether or not (what is stated) is useful or important enough to justify:
For what it’s worth, I think you should apologize to him.
Origin
before 900; Middle English; Old English weorth, wurth; cognate with Old High German werd (German wert), Old Norse verthr, Gothic wairths
Synonyms
4. See merit. 6. See value.

worth2

[wurth] /wɜrθ/
verb (used without object), Archaic.
1.
to happen or betide:
woe worth the day.
Origin
before 900; Middle English worthen, Old English wurthan, weorthan; cognate with German werden, Old Norse vertha, Gothic wairthan to become, Latin vertere to turn (see verse)

Worth

[wurth] /wɜrθ/
noun
1.
a town in NE Illinois.
Examples from the web for worth
  • They had an observation worth making and a position worth debating.
  • Anything that she mentioned as worth consideration usually was worth consideration.
  • Besides, the proof of its positive worth is in all the ill that they speak of it.
  • Five million dollars worth of railroad property was destroyed.
  • As they generally have strong words and tunes, many are worth reviving.
  • Thus a gift that is given quickly without hesitation is worth twice as much.
  • He sent hundreds of dollars worth of flowers to funerals of important opponents.
  • If a coin is greatly lacking in any of these, it is unlikely to be worth much.
British Dictionary definitions for worth

worth1

/wɜːθ/
adjective (governing a noun with prepositional force)
1.
worthy of; meriting or justifying: it's not worth discussing, an idea worth some thought
2.
having a value of: the book is worth 30 pounds
3.
for all one is worth, to the utmost; to the full extent of one's powers or ability
4.
worth one's weight in gold, extremely helpful, kind, etc
noun
5.
high quality; excellence
6.
value, price
7.
the amount or quantity of something of a specified value: five pounds worth of petrol
Word Origin
Old English weorth; related to Old Saxon, Old High German werth (German Wert), Old Norse verthr, Gothic wairths

worth2

/wɜːθ/
verb
1.
(intransitive) (archaic) to happen or betide (esp in the phrase woe worth the day)
Word Origin
Old English weorthan; related to Old Frisian wertha, Old Saxon, Old High German werthan (German werden), Old Norse vertha, Gothic wairthan, Latin vertere to turn

Worth

/wɜːθ; French vɔrt/
noun
1.
Charles Frederick. 1825–95, English couturier, who founded Parisian haute couture
Word Origin and History for worth
adj.

Old English weorþ "significant, valuable, of value; valued, appreciated, highly thought-of, deserving, meriting; honorable, noble, of high rank; suitable for, proper, fit, capable," from Proto-Germanic *werthaz "toward, opposite," hence "equivalent, worth" (cf. Old Frisian werth, Old Norse verðr, Dutch waard, Old High German werd, German wert, Gothic wairþs "worth, worthy"), perhaps a derivative of PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," from root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus). Old Church Slavonic vredu, Lithuanian vertas "worth" are Germanic loan-words. From c.1200 as "equivalent to, of the value of, valued at; having importance equal to; equal in power to."

v.

"to come to be," now chiefly, if not solely, in the archaic expression woe worth the day, present subjunctive of Old English weorðan "to become, be, to befall," from Proto-Germanic *werthan "to become" (cf. Old Saxon, Old Dutch werthan, Old Norse verða, Old Frisian wertha, Old High German werdan, German werden, Gothic wairþan "to become"), literally "to turn into," from Proto-Germanic *werthaz "toward, opposite," perhaps a derivative of PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," from root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus).

n.

Old English weorþ "value, price, price paid; worth, worthiness, merit; equivalent value amount, monetary value," from worth (adj.). From c.1200 as "excellence, nobility."

Slang definitions & phrases for worth

worth

Related Terms

two cents' worth


Idioms and Phrases with worth

worth

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