worst

[ wurst ]

adjective

1. bad or ill in the highest, greatest, or most extreme degree:

   the worst person.

2. most faulty, unsatisfactory, or objectionable:

   the worst paper submitted.

3. most unfavorable or injurious.
4. in the poorest condition:

   the worst house on the block.

5. most unpleasant, unattractive, or disagreeable:

   the worst personality I've ever known.

6. most lacking in skill; least skilled:

   He’s the worst player on the team.

noun

1. that which is worst.

adverb

1. in the most evil, wicked, severe, or disadvantageous manner.
2. with the most severity, intensity, etc.; in the greatest degree.

verb (used with object)

1. to defeat; beat:

   He worsted him easily.

worst

/ wɜːst /

adjective

1. the superlative of bad 1

adverb

1. in the most extreme or bad manner or degree
2. least well, suitably, or acceptably
3. in combination in or to the smallest degree or extent; least

   worst-loved

noun

1. the worst
   the least good or most inferior person, thing, or part in a group, narrative, etc
2. often preceded by at the most poor, unpleasant, or unskilled quality or condition

   television is at its worst these days

3. the greatest amount of damage or wickedness of which a person or group is capable

   the invaders came and did their worst

4. the weakest effort or poorest achievement that a person or group is capable of making

   the applicant did his worst at the test because he did not want the job

5. the worst
   1. in the least favourable interpretation or view
   2. under the least favourable conditions
6. if the worst comes to the worst
   if all the more desirable alternatives become impossible or if the worst possible thing happens
7. come off worst or get the worst of it
   to enjoy the least benefit from an issue or be defeated in it

verb

1. tr to get the advantage over; defeat or beat

Word History and Origins

Origin of worst¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English worste (adjective, adverb, and noun), Old English wur(re)sta, wyr(re)st, wer(re)sta (adjective and adverb); cognate with Old Norse verstr; worse, -est ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of worst¹

Old English wierrest; related to Old Frisian wersta, Old Saxon, Old High German wirsisto, Old Norse verstr

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at worst, if the worst happens; under the worst conditions: Also at the worst.

   He will be expelled from school, at worst.

2. get the worst of, to be defeated in; experience the most harm from:

   New Jersey got the worst of the storm.

3. if worst comes to worst, if the very worst happens:

   If worst comes to worst, we still have some money in reserve.

4. in the worst way, Informal. in an extreme degree; very much: Also the worst way.

   She wanted a new robe for Christmas in the worst way.

More idioms and phrases containing worst

see at worst ; get (have) the worst of it ; if worst comes to worst ; in the worst way . Also see under worse .

Example Sentences

“I’m a terrible Christian — like, the worst,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

"Too many social homes have been sold off before they can be replaced, which has directly contributed to the worst housing crisis in living memory," said Rayner.

From BBC

Almost 11 months ago to the date, Dalton Knecht was in his worst slump of the season.

From Los Angeles Times

Among those cities, the reactor would perform the worst in Minneapolis because of the colder, drier weather in the winter.

From Science Daily

“And it turned into the worst night of our life.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• lowest

More About Worst

What is a basic definition of worst?

Worst describes something as being bad in the highest degree possible. Worst is also used to mean a thing that is the baddest possible and to mean something done in the baddest manner possible. Worst has several other senses as an adjective, adverb, noun, and verb.

Worst is a superlative of the word bad. Simply put, worst describes something as being the baddest out of a group, category, list, and the like. This can mean something is most evil, is least skilled, is most unsatisfactory, is of the poorest quality, or is most unpleasant. What someone thinks of as the worst something depends on what they’re judging that thing on. As with bad, worst is often a person’s opinion.

• Real-life examples: Everybody has a movie that they think is the worst (poorest quality or most unpleasant to watch) movie ever made. The worst student in a class could be the one who scores the lowest on tests or the one who misbehaves the most. A runner who records the worst time in a race is the one who ran the slowest. The worst person you know might be the one with the most unpleasant personality or who treats you the most poorly.
• Used in a sentence: Jessica got a 50 on the test, making her grade the worst in the class. 

In this same sense, worst as a noun means something is the baddest out of a group. This sense is almost always phrased as “the worst.”

• Real-life examples: A person who is the least skilled at painting among a group of painters is the worst. A pie that is the least pleasant to eat out of a group of pies is the worst.
• Used in a sentence: I have played a lot of bad video games, but that one is the worst of them all. 

As an adverb, worst is the superlative of the word badly and describes something as being done in as bad a manner as possible.

• Used in a sentence: We didn’t get any runners on base, making today’s baseball game the worst one this year.

Where does worst come from?

The first records of the term worst come from before 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English wierrest. It is related to similar words from other languages, such as the Old Frisian wersta and the Old Norse verstr.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for worst?

• lowest
• baddest
• calamity
• catastrophe

What are some words that share a root or word element with worst? 

• worst-case
• at worst
• get the worst of it
• if worst comes to worst
• in the worst way

What are some words that often get used in discussing worst?

• person
• score
• idea
• performance
• thing

How is worst used in real life?

Worst is a very common word that describes something as being so bad that you can’t think of anything that is worse.

I am in Cape Town and relieved that I am no longer the worst dancer in town #Daddancing #pmdancing

— Ben Fogle (@Benfogle) August 28, 2018

The 2 thoughts every author has while writing a book:
1. This is the best book ever written.
2. This is the worst book ever written.

— Jon Acuff (@JonAcuff) March 28, 2016

Mascara is truly the worst of all the makeup

— Danielle Sepulvalentine (@ellesep) August 20, 2020

Try using worst!

Is worst used correctly in the following sentence?

I am the worst driver in my family and have gotten more driving tickets than anyone else.