Meaning & use
worthy of
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
deserving to be given something, such as attention, respect, or a reward, because of good qualities or actions
Grammar: Followed by a noun or an -ing form. It often comes after the verb 'be': be worthy of something.
Patterns
- worthy of something
- worthy of doing something
- be worthy of someone
Her dedication to the project is worthy of praise.
The committee decided that the proposal was not worthy of further consideration.
He is a man worthy of our trust.
Common combinations
- worthy of attention
- The issue is worthy of attention from policymakers.
- worthy of praise
- Your hard work is worthy of praise.
- worthy of note
- Several points in the report are worthy of note.
- worthy of mention
- Her contribution is worthy of mention.
- worthy of respect
- His honesty makes him worthy of respect.
- worthy of consideration
- The idea is worthy of consideration.
Synonyms and how they differ
- deserving of
- Very similar, but 'deserving of' is often used when someone has earned something through their actions; 'worthy of' can also suggest inherent qualities.
- meriting
- More formal and less common; it means 'deserving' but is mostly used in writing.
Opposites
Commonly confused: worthy of or worth?
worthy of vs worth
Worth is used differently: 'worth' is followed by a noun or an -ing form and means 'having a certain value or benefit', as in 'The museum is worth visiting.' 'Worthy of' means 'deserving of' and is more formal.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'worthy of' is followed by a noun or an -ing form, so 'worthy of receiving' is correct. 'Worthy to receive' is not standard; 'worthy of receive' is ungrammatical because 'of' needs a noun or gerund; 'worthy receiving' is missing 'of'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “worthy of”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.