worthy

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Deserving respect, attention or a particular reward because of good qualities or actions.

   Grammar: Usually followed by of: worthy of praise.

   Patterns

   • worthy of something
   • worthy to do something

   Her bravery is worthy of praise.

   The story is worthy of a place in the history books.

   He was a worthy winner.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Good and admirable, though sometimes dull.

   Grammar: Often before a noun: a worthy cause.

   The money will go to a worthy cause.

   It was a worthy effort, if a little dull.

   He gave a long, worthy speech.

3. 3nouncountablehumorousold-fashioned

   An important or respected person, often mentioned humorously.

   Grammar: Often plural: local worthies.

   The local worthies gathered for the opening.

   A worthy of the town cut the ribbon.

Word forms

Common combinations

worthy of attention

The idea is worthy of attention.

worthy cause

All donations go to a worthy cause.

worthy opponent

She was a worthy opponent in the final.

worthy successor

He proved a worthy successor to the founder.

not worthy of

The remark was not worthy of a reply.

Synonyms and how they differ

deserving

Deserving is plainer and describes a person who merits help, while worthy can be more formal.

admirable

Admirable focuses on qualities that win admiration, while worthy focuses on deserving something.

respectable

Respectable suggests socially acceptable, not necessarily outstanding.

Opposites

Word family

worth noun

value or merit

worthiness noun

the quality of being worthy

unworthy adjective

not deserving

worthwhile adjective

good enough to spend time or effort on

Commonly confused: worthy or worth?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “worthy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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