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worst

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worst¹

  • /wɜːst/ UK
  • /wɔːst/ Northumbria, UK
  • /wɜɹst/ US

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)st

Where it comes from

From Middle English worste, wurste, warste, werste, wirste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic *wirsistaz, superlative form of *ubilaz (“bad, evil”); compare worse.

Cognate with Old Saxon wirsista, wirrista (“worst”), Old High German wirst, wirsesto, wirsisto (“worst”), Danish værst (“worst”), Swedish värst (“worst”), Icelandic verstur (“worst”).

adjective

  1. for non slang definitions Most inferior; doing the least good. I think putting oil on a burn is the worst thing you can do.
  2. for non slang definitions Most unfavorable. That's the worst news I've had all day.
  3. for non slang definitions Most harmful or severe. The worst storm we had last winter knocked down our power lines.
  4. for non slang definitions 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.

Similar: baddest, pessimal · Opposite: best, optimal

adverb

  1. superlative superlative form of badly: most badly; least well. My sore leg hurts worst when it's cold and rainy.

noun worsts

  1. Something or someone that is the worst. The humorist helps people to explore and confront their worsts

verb worsts · worsting · 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. The […] Philistines were worsted by the captivated ark.

Worst²

Where it comes from

Borrowed from German Worst, a variant of Wurst (“sausage”).

proper noun Worsts

  1. A surname from German.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: pessimum, pessimal, last, mop up, whip, bottom, pip, rack up, last-place, lowest, most evil, most unattractive, most undesirable, most unsuitable, most wicked, poorest

adjective

Similar: baddest, pessimal · Opposite: best, optimal

Translations

Every language

adj most inferior

Españolpeor
한국어가장 나쁜 gajang nappeun
日本語最低の saitei no, 最悪の saiaku no, びりの biri no, ワースト wāsuto
中文最壞 /最坏 zuìhuài, 最差 zuìchà
हिन्दीसबसे बुरा sabse burā, बदतरीन badatrīn
Portuguêspior
Françaispire, mauvais (e)
Deutschschlechteste, schlechtester, schlimmste, schlimmster
Italianopeggiore, pessimo
Русскийху́дший xúdšij, наиху́дший naixúdšij, ху́же всего́ xúže vsevó
Tiếng Việttệ nhất

adv in the worst way

Españolpeor
Portuguêspior
Français(+ le plus)mal
Italiano(+ il)peggio
Română(+ cel mai)rău
Русскийху́же всего́ xúže vsevó

noun something that is worst

한국어워스트 woseuteu
日本語ワースト wāsuto
Portuguêspior
Françaispire
Italianopeggiore
Русскийнаиху́дшее naixúdšeje, ху́дшее xúdšeje

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Cite this
MLA

"worst." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/worst. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

worst. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/worst

Chicago

"worst." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/worst.

BibTeX
@misc{worst_2026,
  title = {worst},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/worst},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}