worst Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the least favorable outcome
    • the worst that could happen
  2. noun the greatest damage or wickedness of which one is capable
    • the invaders did their worst
    • so pure of heart that his worst is another man's best
  3. noun the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of
    • it was the worst he had ever done on a test
  4. verb defeat thoroughly
    pip; rack up; whip; mop up.
    • He mopped up the floor with his opponents
  5. adjective (superlative of `bad') most wanting in quality or value or condition
    • the worst player on the team
    • the worst weather of the year
  6. adjective having undesirable or negative qualities
    bad.
    • a bad report card
    • his sloppy appearance made a bad impression
    • a bad little boy
    • clothes in bad shape
    • a bad cut
    • bad luck
    • the news was very bad
    • the reviews were bad
    • the pay is bad
    • it was a bad light for reading
    • the movie was a bad choice
  7. adjective satellite very intense
    big; bad.
    • a bad headache
    • in a big rage
    • had a big (or bad) shock
    • a bad earthquake
    • a bad storm
  8. adjective satellite feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad')
    bad; tough.
    • my throat feels bad
    • she felt bad all over
    • he was feeling tough after a restless night
  9. adjective satellite (of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition
    bad; spoilt; spoiled.
    • bad meat
    • a refrigerator full of spoilt food
  10. adjective feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
    sorry; bad; regretful.
    • felt regretful over his vanished youth
    • regretful over mistakes she had made
    • he felt bad about breaking the vase
  11. adjective satellite not capable of being collected
    bad; uncollectible.
    • a bad (or uncollectible) debt
  12. adjective satellite below average in quality or performance
    bad.
    • a bad chess player
    • a bad recital
  13. adjective satellite nonstandard
    bad.
    • so-called bad grammar
  14. adjective satellite not financially safe or secure
    speculative; bad; high-risk; risky.
    • a bad investment
    • high risk investments
    • anything that promises to pay too much can't help being risky
    • speculative business enterprises
  15. adjective satellite physically unsound or diseased
    unsound; bad; unfit.
    • has a bad back
    • a bad heart
    • bad teeth
    • an unsound limb
    • unsound teeth
  16. adjective satellite capable of harming
    bad.
    • bad air
    • smoking is bad for you
  17. adjective satellite characterized by wickedness or immorality
    bad.
    • led a very bad life
  18. adjective satellite reproduced fraudulently
    bad; forged.
    • like a bad penny...
    • a forged twenty dollar bill
  19. adjective satellite not working properly
    bad; defective.
    • a bad telephone connection
    • a defective appliance
  20. adverb to the highest degree of inferiority or badness
    • She suffered worst of all
    • schools were the worst hit by government spending cuts
    • the worst dressed person present

WordNet

Worst a., superl. of Bad
Etymology
OE. werst, worste, wurste, AS. wyrst, wierst, wierrest. See Worse, a.
Definitions
  1. Bad, evil, or pernicious, in the highest degree, whether in a physical or moral sense. See Worse. "Heard so oft in worst extremes." Milton.
    I have a wife, the worst that may be. Chaucer.
    If thou hadst not been born the worst of men, Thou hadst been a knave and flatterer. Shak.
Worst noun
Definitions
  1. That which is most bad or evil; the most severe, pernicious, calamitous, or wicked state or degree.
    The worst is not So long as we can say, This is the worst. Shak.
    He is always sure of finding diversion when the worst comes to the worst. Addison.
Worst transitive verb
Etymology
See Worse, v. t. & a.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Worsted; present participle & verbal noun Worsting
Definitions
  1. To gain advantage over, in contest or competition; to get the better of; to defeat; to overthrow; to discomfit.
    The . . . Philistines were worsted by the captivated ark. South.
Worst intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To grow worse; to deteriorate. R. "Every face . . . worsting." Jane Austen.

Webster 1913