worst
worst
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling of worst is /wɜrst/ in American English or /wɜːst/ in British English.
The word has one syllable, which is broken down into the following sounds:
/w/: A voiced sound made by rounding the lips and raising the back of the tongue, as in "water."
/ɜr/ or /ɜː/: The vowel sound, as in "bird" or "nurse."
/s/: A voiceless hissing sound made by forcing air through a narrow channel at the front of the tongue, as in "snake."
/t/: A voiceless puff of air created by blocking and then releasing airflow with the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge (just behind the top teeth), as in "top."
Word Form Variations
"Worst" is the superlative form of "bad" and "badly." The progression is:
Positive: bad (adjective), badly (adverb)
Comparative: worse
Superlative: worst
As a verb, its forms are:
Base Form: worst
Third-person Singular: worsts
Past Tense/Past Participle: worsted
Present Participle: worsting
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Of the lowest quality, least desirable, or most severe degree possible. It is the superlative form of "bad."
Example: "This is the worst coffee I have ever tasted."
Synonyms: most terrible, poorest, foulest, most dreadful
Antonyms: best, finest, greatest, supreme
Adverb
In the most negative, unsuccessful, or severe manner. It is the superlative form of "badly."
Example: "Of all the players, he performed the worst."
Synonyms: most poorly, most terribly, most incompetently
Antonyms: best, most effectively, most successfully
Noun
The most terrible, difficult, or unpleasant event, outcome, or part of something.
Example: "We prepared for the worst, but the storm wasn't that bad."
Synonyms: nadir, low point, catastrophe, calamity
Antonyms: best, peak, highlight, pinnacle
Verb
To defeat, overcome, or get the better of someone. (Note: This usage is less common in modern English).
Example: "The champion worsted every challenger who faced him."
Synonyms: defeat, vanquish, conquer, beat, overcome
Antonyms: lose to, surrender to, yield to
Examples of Use
Literature
In literature, "worst" is often used to establish extreme stakes or contrast. A classic example is the opening line of Charles Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Cities:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..."
Here, worst (adjective) is used to create a powerful paradox, setting the scene for a story of social and political turmoil.
News and Online Publications
Journalism frequently uses "worst" to describe the severity of events, from natural disasters to economic crises.
"The United Nations has repeatedly described the situation in Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis." (The Guardian)
In online media, the word is a staple in listicles and reviews to create definitive, attention-grabbing rankings.
"From the exploding Galaxy Note 7 to the Juicero, we look back at some of the worst tech product launches in recent memory."
In these examples, worst is an adjective emphasizing the extreme negative quality of a situation or product.
Entertainment
In film, television, and music, "worst" is used to convey conflict, failure, or a rebellious attitude.
In the TV series Community, the "darkest timeline" concept is a recurring plot point, often referred to by fans and writers as the "worst timeline."
The rapper Drake released a popular song titled "Worst Behavior," where the title implies acting out in a defiant or socially unacceptable way.
Public Discourse
The word is common in famous quotes and everyday idioms to make a strong point about a particular subject.
A well-known political aphorism from Winston Churchill demonstrates this:
"Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." (House of Commons, November 1947)
In common speech, you might hear someone say:
"I'm my own worst enemy."
This idiom uses worst (adjective) to express that a person's own actions or habits are the primary cause of their problems.
10 Famous Quotes Using Worst
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)
"Democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." (Winston Churchill)
"The only thing worst than being talked about is not being talked about." (Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray)
"The worst is not, so long as we can say, 'This is the worst.'" (William Shakespeare, King Lear)
"The worst of all deceptions is self-deception." (Plato)
"The worst calamities that befall an army arise from hesitation." (Sun Tzu, The Art of War)
"The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal." (Aristotle)
"The worst of all things is to have sight but no vision." (Helen Keller)
"Our worst fears lie in anticipation." (Honoré de Balzac)
"My worst work is my best." (Andy Warhol)
Etymology
The story of the word worst is interesting because it's part of a special and ancient family of words in English. You’ve probably noticed that we say "bad, worse, worst" instead of something more predictable like "bad, badder, baddest." This is because these words come from different ancient roots that were patched together over time.
The direct ancestor of "worst" comes from Old English, the language spoken in England over a thousand years ago. The Old English word was wyrrest or wierrest. Its meaning was exactly the same as it is today: the most bad, the most evil, or of the lowest quality. This form of the word was already in use before the 12th century.
If we go back even further, we find that the Old English word comes from a Proto-Germanic root, the ancestor of English, German, and Dutch. That ancient root was something like *wers-, which carried the meaning of "to confuse," "to mix up," or "to throw into disarray."
The -st ending on worst is a very old way of indicating the superlative (the "most" of something), just as it is in words like best, fastest, or greatest.
So, when you put it all together, the original sense of the word "worst" was literally "the most mixed-up" or "the most confused." Over centuries, this idea of ultimate chaos and disorder evolved into our modern understanding of the word as the ultimate degree of "bad."
In short:
First Known Use: The word existed in Old English as wyrrest around 900 AD.
Original Meaning: It has consistently meant "the most bad" or "of the lowest degree," a meaning that grew out of an ancient root word for "confusion" and "disorder."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Worst
Common Phrases and Idioms Using "Worst"
Worst-case scenario: The most negative possible outcome that can be imagined for a situation.
If worst comes to worst: A phrase used to describe a contingency plan if a situation deteriorates to the most unfavorable degree.
My own worst enemy: Describes a person whose own negative habits, actions, or character traits are the main cause of their problems.
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best: A piece of advice suggesting one should be ready for disaster while remaining optimistic.
The worst of the worst: Refers to the most extreme and negative examples within a particular group.
Bring out the worst in someone: To cause a person to act in their most negative, unpleasant, or cruel manner.
Get the worst of it: To suffer the most damage, injury, or disadvantage in a conflict or difficult situation.
A fate worse than death: A common hyperbole to describe an extremely undesirable outcome. (This uses "worse" but the spirit is similar to "the worst thing imaginable").
The worst-kept secret: Information that is supposedly confidential but is actually known by many people.
Idioms with a Similar Meaning
These idioms don't use the word "worst" but capture the idea of reaching the lowest or most negative point.
To hit rock bottom: To reach the absolute lowest point, often before a positive change can begin.
Scraping the bottom of the barrel: Being forced to use the last and least desirable options available.
The nadir of (one's) career/life: The most unsuccessful or unhappy point in a person's experience.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire: To go from a bad situation to one that is even more dreadful.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of worst from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
