WORST
What does "WORST" mean?
Of the poorest quality or condition; the superlative of bad.
Meanings
- Most bad, most unpleasant, or in the poorest condition of all. It was the worst storm the coast had seen in fifty years.
- To the greatest degree of severity or inferiority. Of all the players, he took the loss worst.
- The most bad, harmful, or unpleasant part, person, or possibility. Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.
- To defeat or get the better of someone. She was worsted in the debate by a single sharp question. archaic
Did you know?
- WORST is not only an adjective: as a verb it means to defeat, so 'he was worsted' means he was beaten - a fossil sense still recognised by dictionaries today.
Word origin
From Old English 'wierrest', the superlative of 'yfel' (bad), from the same Germanic root as 'worse'; it replaces a regular '-est' form on 'bad'.
Remember it
WORSE + T = WORST: add a T for 'the' end, the very bottom of the scale.
A little poem
Past worse there is floor-
the word that no comparison
can drag any lower.
haiku
Wordplay
- How do you beat someone in an old-fashioned argument? You worst them - and that's the best way to use the worst word.
What it teaches
The worst is a floor, not a pit; once you have named the bottom, every step is back toward the light.
Quick facts
What does WORST mean?
Of the poorest quality or condition; the superlative of bad.
Is WORST a valid word?
Yes — WORST is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is WORST?
WORST has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does WORST come from?
From Old English 'wierrest', the superlative of 'yfel' (bad), from the same Germanic root as 'worse'; it replaces a regular '-est' form on 'bad'.
What can WORST teach us?
The worst is a floor, not a pit; once you have named the bottom, every step is back toward the light.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.