Worst
/wɝːst/noun
Of the lowest quality, value, or degree; most unfavorable or bad.
Did you know?“Worst” is the superlative of Old English *weorrest*, built from a Germanic root behind words for turning and twisting — a reminder that the “lowest” thing in a set was once imagined as the most warped one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wert-
“to turn, twist”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*werstaz
“superlative form, “most turned/most bad””
Old English
English
wierst / wyrst
“worst, most evil or least good”
Middle English
English
worst
“most bad; least desirable”
Modern English
English
worst
“of the lowest quality, value, or degree”