worthy

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈwɝði/ UK /ˈwɜːði/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like wordy /ð/ vs /d/

Freq #3599

Meanings

1

adj
Good enough to deserve respect, attention, or a particular thing.

Her courage made her worthy of the award.
2

adj
Having real value or merit.

It is a worthy cause that deserves our support.
3

noun
An important or highly respected person.

The town's worthies gathered for the opening ceremony.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · good enough to deserve... admirable commendable creditable praiseworthy deserving

2 adj · having real value or merit. estimable honorable respectable

Word family

Forms worthierworthiesworthiestworthily

Derived forms markworthy noteworthyworthilyworthiness

Related forms unworthyworthly

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

The laborer is worthy of his hire

Etymology

From Middle English worthien, wurthien, from Old English weorþian (“to esteem, honor, worship, distinguish, celebrate, exalt, praise, adorn, deck, enrich, reward”), from Proto-Germanic *werþōną (“to be worthy, estimate, appreciate, appraise”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with German werten (“to rate, judge, grade, score”), Swedish värdera (“to evaluate, rate, size up, assess, estimate”), Icelandic virða (“to respect, esteem”).

worthien Middle English weorþian Old English *werþōną Proto-Germanic *wert- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# worthy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈwɝði/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwɜːði/
**Frequency rank:** 3599

## Meanings
1. Good enough to deserve respect, attention, or a particular thing.
2. Having real value or merit.
3. An important or highly respected person.

## Examples
- Her courage made her worthy of the award.
- It is a worthy cause that deserves our support.
- The town's worthies gathered for the opening ceremony.

## Derived Forms
- markworthy
- noteworthy
- worthily
- worthiness

## Related Forms
- unworthy
- worthly

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: worthien
- Root: weorþian
- Root: *werþōną
- Root: *wert-

## Etymology
From Middle English worthien, wurthien, from Old English weorþian (“to esteem, honor, worship, distinguish, celebrate, exalt, praise, adorn, deck, enrich, reward”), from Proto-Germanic *werþōną (“to be worthy, estimate, appreciate, appraise”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with German werten (“to rate, judge, grade, score”), Swedish värdera (“to evaluate, rate, size up, assess, estimate”), Icelandic virða (“to respect, esteem”).

## AI Etymology
Worthy is from Middle English worthien, wurthien, from Old English weorþian (“to esteem, honor, worship, distinguish, celebrate, exalt, praise, adorn, deck, enrich, reward”), from Proto-Germanic *werþōną (“to be worthy, estimate, appreciate, appraise”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with German werten (“to rate, judge, grade, score”), Swedish värdera (“to evaluate, rate, size up, assess, estimate”), Icelandic virða (“to respect, esteem”). In present-day use, it can mean good enough to deserve respect, attention, or a particular thing, or having real value or merit.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

markdown