worst comes to worst
English
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worst comes to worst
Where it comes from
Originally in the form "if the worst come to the worst" with the subjunctive "if it come to" in the sense of "if the worst possible outcome should become the worst possible reality". Often used even today with the same two definite articles, and this is the only form recorded for British English in some dictionaries.
adverb form only · the worst comes to the worst · worse comes to worst · bad comes to worst · bad comes to worse · worse comes to worse
- If a possible worst-case scenario actually occurs. “Worst comes to worst, we'll make it to Cleveland and we can set down there and wait things out.” Gordon Rand nearly sneered, “Worst comes to worst? We'll crash and die, isn't that closer to the worst end of the possibility spectrum?
Translations
Every language
adv if a bad situation develops
| 日本語 | 最悪の場合 saiaku no baai |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 大不了 dàbùliǎo |
| Português | na pior das hipóteses |
| Français | si le pire devait arriver, dans le pire des cas |
| Deutsch | wenn alle Stricke reißen, wenn es zum Schlimmsten kommt, wenn es zum Äußersten kommt, schlimmstenfalls |
| Italiano | nel peggiore dei casi, alle brutte |
| Ελληνικά | σε ἐσχατη ἀνάγκη se eschati anágki |
| Русский | на худо́й коне́ц na xudój konéc, в ху́дшем слу́чае v xúdšem slúčaje |
Talk about this word "worst comes to worst." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/worst%20comes%20to%20worst. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. worst comes to worst. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/worst%20comes%20to%20worst "worst comes to worst." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/worst%20comes%20to%20worst.Cite this
@misc{worst_comes_to_worst_2026,
title = {worst comes to worst},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/worst%20comes%20to%20worst},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
