Worst Meaning
/wɜːst/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjsuperlative form of bad: most bad
adjsuperlative form of bad: most bad, Most inferior; doing the least good.
Sentence Examples
Let's consider the worst that could happen.
Democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried.
It was by far the worst speech he had ever made.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Among all the storms this season, the hurricane was the ____ in terms of damage.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
That was the ____ movie I have ever seen, and I would certainly not recommend it to any of my friends today.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The humorist helps people to explore and confront their worsts"
— 1991, Don C. Dinkmeyer, Jr., The Encouragement Book: Becoming a Positive Person, page 201:
"Anne haggard, Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood worsting."
— 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC:
"The […] Philistines were worsted by the captivated ark."
— 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
"Her joy and pride in the honour paid to her darling son Adam was beginning to be worsted in the conflict with the jealousy and fretfulness which had revived when Adam came to tell her that Captain Donnithorne desired him to join the dancers in the hall."
— 1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Dance”, in Adam Bede […], volume II, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book third, pages 205–206:
"Jo carried her love of liberty and hate of conventionalities to such an unlimited extent that she naturally found herself worsted in an argument."
— 1868–1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, Little Women: […], (please specify |part=1 or 2), Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Among all the storms this season, the hurricane was the ____ in terms of damage.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
That was the ____ movie I have ever seen, and I would certainly not recommend it to any of my friends today.