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worst

SayWURST/wɜɹst/UK/wɜːst/

Noun pluralworsts

8 meanings of worst

Practice

  1. 1
    least goodadjective
    Worse than all the others, the least good or the least wanted.

    Rain on moving day is the worst luck.

    That turned out to be the worst seat in the whole theater.

    UsageSay the worst: bad, worse, worst.

  2. 2
    adjective
    More harmful or more serious than anything else.

    The worst storms can knock down trees and power lines.

    She had the worst cold of anyone in the office.

    Similarseverest, gravest

    Oppositemildest

  3. 3
    adjective
    Used with "the" to mean the one that is worse than all the others, when it is clear what you mean.

    I tried on three jackets, and the green one was the worst.

    All the roads were bad after the snow, but ours was the worst.

    UsageSay the worst of them, or by far the worst.

    Oppositebest

  4. 4
    noun
    The person or thing that is worse than all the rest.

    Her time in today's race was a personal worst, but she still finished.

    At dinner, we each share our bests and worsts of the week.

    UsageOften expect the worst, the worst is over, or at worst.

    Oppositebest

    Note
  5. 5
    most badlyadverb
    Superlative of badly. Use this form to say something was done in the least good way.

    Of the three of us, my brother did worst on the math test.

    The team played worst whenever it rained.

    UsageOften in words like worst-hit.

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    go downhillverbdatedintransitive
    To get worse over time.
    Anne haggard, Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood worsting.
    1817, [Jane Austen], Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion.Here, worsting means getting worse over time.

    Similardeteriorate, worsen, decline

    Oppositeimprove

    Note
  2. 7
    deepenverbarchaictransitive
    To make something worse than it was.
    Note
  3. 8
    defeatverbraretransitive
    To beat or defeat someone, especially in a fight.

    Like beating another team in an important game.

    The knights vowed to worst their enemies before nightfall.

    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, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, Little WomenHere, worsted means beaten or defeated.

    UsageMostly in the passive: was worsted, be worsted.

    Similardefeat, beat, overcome, rout

    Note

worst is a form of badly

badly, adverb: In a way that is not good or not done well. Full entry

Forms
badlyworse comparativeworst superlative
Spelling
badly → worst: irregular

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of worst apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Old English "wierrest," which was the form meaning the most bad. It is related to "worse."

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts