# worst

/ˈwɝst/ (US) · /wˈɜːst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/worst
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. most bad

adjective · CEFR A2

the most unpleasant, lowest quality, or most serious.

For teachers: the superlative degree of 'bad', indicating the extreme of poor quality, severity, or unpleasantness.

- 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.

### 2. most badly

adverb · CEFR B1

in the most harmful or least successful way.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. the most unpleasant thing

noun · CEFR B1

the most difficult or unpleasant part of a situation.

For teachers: 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'.

### 4. to defeat

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

to beat someone in a fight or a competition.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The worst of the storm is finally over.
- We prepared for the worst by packing extra food and water before the blizzard hit.
- While the initial results were disappointing, the worst of the economic downturn appeared to have passed by the second quarter of the fiscal year.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.