worth
Noun · AdjectiveOpen English WordNet
Adjective (2)
- (often used ironically) worthy of being treated in a particular way“an idea worth considering”“the deserving poor”“a deserving cause”Synonyms: deservingOpposite unworthySimilar worthy
- having a specified value“not worth his salt”“worth her weight in gold”“an appraisal determined the antique carved chair was worth $900”Opposite worthlessSimilar valuable
Noun (3)
- an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value“10 dollars worth of gasoline”Type of indefinite quantityKinds pennyworth, halfpennyworth
- the quality that renders something desirable or valuable or usefulOpposite ineptitudeType of qualityKinds value, merit, price, demerit, worthwhileness, praisworthiness
- French couturier (born in England) regarded as the founder of Parisian haute couture; noted for introducing the bustle (1825-1895)Synonyms: Charles Frederick WorthInstance of couturier, fashion designer
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Adjective deserving of
Noun value, merit
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OE. worthen, wurþen, to become, AS. weorðan; akin to OS. werðan, D. worden, G. werden, OHG. werdan, Icel. verða, Sw. varda, Goth. waírpan, L. vertere to turn, Skr. vṛt, v. i., to turn, to roll, to become. √143. Cf. Verse, -ward, Weird.
To be; to become; to betide; — now used only in the phrases, woe worth the day, woe worth the man, etc., in which the verb is in the imperative, and the nouns day, man, etc., are in the dative. Woe be to the day, woe be to the man, etc., are equivalent phrases.
I counsel... to let the cat worthe.— Vision of Piers Plowman
He worth upon [got upon] his steed gray.— Geoffrey Chaucer
Origin: OE. worth, wurþ, AS. weorð, wurE; akin to OFries. werth, OS. werð, D. waard, OHG. werd, G. wert, werth, Icel. verðr, Sw. värd, Dan. værd, Goth. waírps, and perhaps to E. wary. Cf. Stalwart, Ware an article of merchandise, Worship.
1. Valuable; of worthy; estimable; also, worth while. obsolete
It was not worth to make it wise.— Geoffrey Chaucer
2. Equal in value to; furnishing an equivalent for; proper to be exchanged for.
A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats.— William Shakespeare
All our doings without charity are nothing worth.— Bk. of Com. Prayer.
If your arguments produce no conviction, they are worth nothing to me.— James Beattie
3. Deserving of; — in a good or bad sense, but chiefly in a good sense.
To reign is worth ambition, though in hell.— John Milton
This is life indeed, life worth preserving.— Joseph Addison
4. Having possessions equal to; having wealth or estate to the value of.
At Geneva are merchants reckoned worth twenty hundred crowns.— Joseph Addison
Worth while, or Worth the while. See under While, noun
Origin: OE. worth, wurþ, AS. weorð, wurð; weorð, wurð, adj. See Worth, adjective
1. That quality of a thing which renders it valuable or useful; sum of valuable qualities which render anything useful and sought; value; hence, often, value as expressed in a standard, as money; equivalent in exchange; price.
What 's worth in anything But so much money as 't will bring?—
2. Value in respect of moral or personal qualities; excellence; virtue; eminence; desert; merit; usefulness; as, a man or magistrate of great worth.
To be of worth, and worthy estimation.— William Shakespeare
As none but she, who in that court did dwell, Could know such worth, or worth describe so well.— Edmund Waller
To think how modest worth neglected lies.— William Shenstone
Synonyms: Desert; merit; excellence; price; rate.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54