Worth
adjective/noun
Definition
1. (adjective) Deserving of effort, time, money, or attention — used to say that something merits the cost or trouble involved.
2. (noun) The value or importance of a person or thing — either in money or in personal significance.
3. (noun) An amount equal to a specified quantity — used to express how much of something corresponds to a given measure.
2. (noun) The value or importance of a person or thing — either in money or in personal significance.
3. (noun) An amount equal to a specified quantity — used to express how much of something corresponds to a given measure.
Context Alive
You've been standing in line at a new ramen place for forty minutes and you're starting to regret it. Your friend keeps saying it's worth the wait. When you finally sit down and take the first bite, you immediately understand what she meant. You don't even finish the conversation — you just eat.
Meanings
3 meanings 1 Deserving the Effort or Cost (Adjective) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about something being good enough to justify the time, money, or effort you put in. Imagine you've been putting off watching a long film because it's three hours — but a friend tells you it's absolutely worth watching. This is saying the result or experience is good enough to earn the cost. You might say "it's worth the risk" when the possible reward outweighs the danger, or someone could say "was it worth it?" after you spent a lot on something to find out if you regret it. Or think about finishing a difficult book and feeling satisfied — you'd say it was worth every page. The word signals that the trade-off came out in your favour.
✏️ The two most common patterns are worth + noun ("worth the effort", "worth the wait") and worth + -ing ("worth trying", "worth reading"). The phrase be worth it is extremely common in everyday speech — it works as a stand-alone answer: "Was it hard?" "Yes, but it was worth it."
2 The Value or Importance of Something (Noun) Common ▼
This meaning is about the value that something or someone has — either in money or in personal significance. Imagine someone who has worked hard for years at a company but never got recognised — a friend might tell them to "know their worth" and look for a better job. This is describing the real value a person or thing holds, whether it's measurable or not. You might hear "prove your worth" when someone needs to demonstrate their usefulness, or someone could say "net worth" to refer to the total financial value of everything a person owns. Or think about someone recovering from a bad relationship who slowly rebuilds their self-worth and starts feeling confident again. The word points to value that goes beyond a price tag.
✏️ As a noun, worth often appears in compound words: self-worth (belief in your own value), net worth (total financial assets minus debts). "Know your worth" has become a very popular phrase in modern self-help and career advice — you'll see it everywhere.
3 An Amount Equal to a Given Measure (Noun) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about expressing a quantity that corresponds to a specific amount of time, money, or measurement. Imagine going to a petrol station and asking for "£40 worth of fuel" — you're saying you want the amount of petrol that equals forty pounds. This is describing quantity through a reference point. You might say "a week's worth of groceries" to describe the amount of food needed for seven days, or someone could say "millions of pounds' worth of damage" to describe how costly the destruction was. Or think about packing "three days' worth of clothes" for a short trip — you're measuring the amount by the time it needs to cover. The word links a quantity directly to a value or time period.
✏️ The pattern is always [amount]'s worth of [noun] or [money] worth of [noun]: "ten minutes' worth of work", "$200 worth of groceries", "a lifetime's worth of memories." Note the apostrophe — it shows possession: the worth of that amount. This is one of the most common everyday uses of the word.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
worth + noun → used to say something justifies the cost, time, or effort
The view from the top was worth the climb.
worth + -ing → used to recommend an action because it will pay off
This documentary is definitely worth watching.
[amount]'s worth of + noun → expressing a quantity equal to a given measure of time or money
She bought a week's worth of food in one trip.
Common Structures
be worth it → a stand-alone phrase meaning the effort or cost was justified
The trip was exhausting, but it was completely worth it.
prove / know your worth → demonstrate or recognise the value you bring
She finally left the job when she realised she wasn't being paid what she was worth.
not worth + noun/-ing → used to say something doesn't justify the effort or attention
Don't argue with him — it's not worth your time.
Collocations
10 collocationsworth the effort
the result justifies how hard you worked for it
worth the wait
something was good enough to justify the time spent waiting
worth the risk
the potential reward justifies the danger involved
worth it
the overall experience or result was good enough to justify the cost or trouble
worth every penny
something was fully justified despite the price paid
net worth
the total financial value of a person's assets minus their debts
self-worth
a person's sense of their own value and importance
prove your worth
demonstrate your value or usefulness to others
know your worth
be aware of your own value and not accept less than you deserve
a week's / day's worth of
the amount of something needed for a specific time period
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
The hike was tough, but the view from the top was worth every step.
The climb was difficult, but the scenery at the summit fully justified the effort.
2
Is the new phone worth the upgrade, or is mine still good enough?
Does the new model justify spending the money, or is the current one still fine?
3
He worked there for years without recognition — his friend told him to know his worth.
After years of being overlooked, a friend reminded him not to undervalue himself.
4
She bought three days' worth of groceries before the storm hit.
She stocked up on enough food for three days just before the bad weather arrived.
5
The flood caused millions of pounds' worth of damage across the region.
The flooding destroyed property and infrastructure costing millions across the area.
6
The restaurant had a long queue, but it was worth the wait.
Despite the long line, the experience justified the time spent waiting.
7
She spent years rebuilding her self-worth after a difficult relationship.
It took her a long time to restore her confidence and sense of personal value after the breakup.
8
Don't waste energy on people who don't think you're worth their time.
Stop investing effort in people who don't see your value.
9
I only had about ten minutes' worth of battery left on my phone.
My phone had just enough charge to last roughly ten more minutes.
10
The new hire proved her worth within the first week on the job.
The new employee showed how valuable she was right from her first week.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
2 items
Idioms & Expressionsworth its weight in gold — extremely valuable or useful — worth far more than its actual cost
A good mentor is worth their weight in gold when you're starting out in your career.
for what it's worth — used before giving an opinion or piece of information that may or may not be helpful
For what it's worth, I think you made the right decision.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsvalue
more neutral — used for both monetary and personal significance
merit
focuses on deserving something — often used in formal or professional contexts
deserving
closer to the adjective sense — being worthy of something
Antonymsworthless
having no value or importance at all
pointless
not worth doing — the effort or action serves no purpose
overrated
not as good or valuable as people claim — the hype wasn't worth it