worst

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled wust

US /wɜrst/ UK /wɜːst/ See IPA manual

Freq #1111

Meanings

1

adj
Superlative of bad; of the lowest quality or in the poorest condition.

I think putting oil on a burn is the worst thing you can do.
2

adv
In the most severe or least good way.

My leg hurts worst when it's cold and rainy.
3

noun
The most unpleasant or least good part, outcome, or thing.

We feared the worst when the phone rang at midnight.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

baddestpessimal

Opposites

best optimal

Word family

Forms worstedworstingworsts

Derived forms worst-caseworstness

Related forms worse

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

worst case
the most unfavorable possible situation or outcome

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (4)

See all

Etymology

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”).

worste Middle English wierrest Old English *wirsistaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# worst

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, adv, noun
**IPA (US):** /wɜrst/
**IPA (UK):** /wɜːst/
**Frequency rank:** 1111

## Meanings
1. Superlative of bad; of the lowest quality or in the poorest condition.
2. In the most severe or least good way.
3. The most unpleasant or least good part, outcome, or thing.

## Examples
- I think putting oil on a burn is the worst thing you can do.
- My leg hurts worst when it's cold and rainy.
- We feared the worst when the phone rang at midnight.

## Synonyms
- baddest
- pessimal

## Antonyms
- best
- optimal

## Derived Forms
- worst-case
- worstness

## Related Forms
- worse

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: worste
- Root: wierrest
- Root: *wirsistaz

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Worst is 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”). Important historical forms include Middle English worste, Old English wierrest, and Proto-Germanic *wirsistaz. In present-day use, it can mean superlative of bad; of the lowest quality or in the poorest condition, or in the most severe or least good way.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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