Definitions
01most bad
A2 · Elementary
adj. the most unpleasant, lowest quality, or most serious.
adj. the superlative degree of 'bad', indicating the extreme of poor quality, severity, or unpleasantness.
日本語:最悪の※
“That was the worst film I have ever seen in my life.”
“The worst outcome of the negotiations would be a total breakdown in communication between the two regional powers.”
Usage
Always used with the definite article 'the' when preceding a noun.
Pitfall
This is the most worst day.
This is the worst day.
Worst is already a superlative; do not use 'most' with it.
Antonyms
02most badly
B1 · Intermediate
adv. in the most harmful or least successful way.
adv. the superlative degree of 'badly', describing an action performed with the maximum degree of incompetence or negative effect.
“Of all the players, he performed the worst during the final match.”
“The areas situated along the coast were the worst affected by the hurricane's landfall.”
Usage
Often follows the verb or the object it modifies.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03the most unpleasant thing
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the most difficult or unpleasant part of a situation.
n. the most negative or harmful possibility, part, or eventuality.
“The rain was heavy, but the worst of the storm is now over.”
“Economists fear that the worst is yet to come regarding the rise in inflation rates.”
Usage
Usually functions as the head of a noun phrase with 'the'.
Antonyms
04to defeat
C2 · Proficiency Literary · Formal
v. to beat someone in a fight or a competition.
v. to gain the advantage over or defeat an opponent.
“The small army worsted their enemies despite being outnumbered.”
“The incumbent was worsted in the televised debate, failing to provide coherent answers to the moderator's questions.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Teaching tip
This verbal use is rare in modern speech; students will mostly encounter it in older literature or formal historical accounts.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “worst” in context.
Etymology
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/worst
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0