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Webster 1913 Edition

Worthy

Wor′thy

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Worthier
;
sup
erl.
Worthiest.
]
[OE.
worthi
,
wurþi
, from
worth
,
wurþ
, n.; cf. Icel.
verðugr
, D.
waardig
, G.
würdig
, OHG.
wirdīg
. See
Worth
,
Noun.
]
1.
Having worth or excellence; possessing merit; valuable; deserving; estimable; excellent; virtuous.
Full
worthy
was he in his lordes war.
Chaucer.
These banished men that I have kept withal
Are men endued with
worthy
qualities.
Shakespeare
Happier thou mayst be,
worthier
canst not be.
Milton.
This
worthy
mind should
worthy
things embrace.
Sir J. Davies.
2.
Having suitable, adapted, or equivalent qualities or value; – usually with of before the thing compared or the object; more rarely, with a following infinitive instead of of, or with that;
as,
worthy
of, equal in excellence, value, or dignity to
; entitled to; meriting; – usually in a good sense, but sometimes in a bad one.
No, Warwick, thou art
worthy
of the sway.
Shakespeare
The merciless Macdonwald,
Worthy
to be a rebel.
Shakespeare
Whose shoes I am not
worthy
to bear.
Matt. iii. 11.
And thou art
worthy
that thou shouldst not know
More happiness.
Milton.
The lodging is well
worthy
of the guest.
Dryden.
3.
Of high station; of high social position.
[Obs.]
Worthy
women of the town.
Chaucer.
Worthiest of blood
(Eng. Law of Descent)
,
most worthy of those of the same blood to succeed or inherit; – applied to males, and expressive of the preference given them over females.
Burrill.

Wor′thy

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Worthies
.
A man of eminent worth or value; one distinguished for useful and estimable qualities; a person of conspicuous desert; – much used in the plural;
as, the
worthies
of the church; political
worthies
; military
worthies
.
The blood of ancient
worthies
in his veins.
Cowper.

Wor′thy

,
Verb.
T.
To render worthy; to exalt into a hero.
[Obs.]
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition

Worthy

WORTHY

,
Adj.
[G.]
1.
Deserving; such as merits; having worth or excellence; equivalent; with of, before the thing deserved. She has married a man worthy of her.
Thou art worthy of the sway.
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies--Genesis 32.
2.
Possessing worth or excellence of qualities; virtuous; estimable; as a worthy citizen; a worthy magistrate.
Happier thou mayst be, worthier canst not be.
This worthy mind should worthy things embrace.
3.
Suitable; having qualities suited to; either in a good or bad sense; equal in value; as flowers worthy of paradise.
4.
Suitable to any thing bad.
The merciless Macdonald, worthy to be a rebel.
5.
Deserving of ill; as things worthy of stripes. Luke 12.

WORTHY

,
Noun.
A man of eminent worth; a man distinguished for useful and estimable qualities; a man of valor; a word much used in the plural; as the worthies of the church; political worthies; military worthies.

WORTHY

,
Verb.
T.
To render worthy; to exalt. [Not in use.]

Definition 2024

worthy

worthy

See also: -worthy

English

Adjective

worthy ‎(comparative worthier, superlative worthiest)

  1. having worth, merit, or value
    • Shakespeare
      These banished men that I have kept withal / Are men endued with worthy qualities.
    • Sir J. Davies
      This worthy mind should worthy things embrace.
  2. honourable or admirable
  3. deserving, or having sufficient worth
  4. Suited; befitting.
    • Shakespeare
      No, Warwick, thou art worthy of the sway.
    • Bible, Matthew iii. 11
      […] whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.
    • Milton
      And thou art worthy that thou shouldst not know / More happiness.
    • Dryden
      The lodging is well worthy of the guest.
Derived terms
Translations

Noun

worthy ‎(plural worthies)

  1. a distinguished or eminent person

Related terms

Etymology 2

From Middle English worthien, wurthien, from Old English weorþian ‎(“to esteem, honor, worship, distinguish, celebrate, exalt, praise, adorn, deck, enrich, reward”), from Proto-Germanic *werþōną ‎(“to be worthy, estimate, appreciate, appraise”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert- ‎(“to turn, wind”). Cognate with German werten ‎(“to rate, judge, grade, score”), Swedish värdera ‎(“to evaluate, rate, size up, assess, estimate”), Icelandic virða ‎(“to respect, esteem”).

Verb

worthy ‎(third-person singular simple present worthies, present participle worthying, simple past and past participle worthied)

  1. (transitive) To render or treat as worthy; exalt; revere; honour; esteem; respect; value; reward; adore.
    • William Shakespeare, King Lear
      And put upon him such a deal of man,
      That worthied him, got praises of the king […]
    • 1880, Sir Norman Lockyer, Nature:
      After having duly paid his addresses to it, he generally spends some time on the marble slab in front of the looking-glass, but without showing the slightest emotion at the sight of his own reflection, or worthying it with a song.
    • 1908, Edward Arthur Brayley Hodgetts, The court of Russia in the nineteenth century:
      And it is a poor daub besides," the Emperor rejoined scornfully, as he stalked out of the gallery without worthying the artist with a look.
    • 1910, Charles William Eliot, The Harvard classics: Beowulf:
      No henchman he worthied by weapons, if witness his features, his peerless presence!
Derived terms

Middle English

Etymology

From worth +‎ -y, from Old English weorþ.

Pronunciation

Adjective

worthy

  1. worthy

Descendants

Etymology

From Middle English worthy, wurthi, from Old English *weorþiġ ((not found); "worthy"), equivalent to worth +‎ -y. Cognate with Dutch waardig ‎(“worthy”), Middle Low German werdig ‎(“worthy”), German würdig ‎(“worthy”), Swedish värdig ‎(“worthy”), Icelandic verðugt ‎(“worthy”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈwərðiː/

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