worst

Meanings

1. 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. 2
   adv

   In the most severe or least good way.

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

3. 3
   noun

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

   We feared the worst when the phone rang at midnight.

Common collocations

• worst case Adjective + noun

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”).

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