The words worse and worst are extremely useful. They are the main and often best way we can indicate that something is, well, more bad or most bad. But because they look and sound so similar, it can be easy to mix them up, especially in certain expressions. In this article, we’ll break down the […]
The adjective worst describes the thing that is the least good, like this awful pizza, the worst we've ever had in our lives. Worst means "the least favorable outcome."
Worse: Used to describe a situation, object, or state that is lower quality, less desirable, or less favorable than something else, worse compares one thing to another. Worse is the comparative form of bad, basically translating to “more bad.” Today’s weather is worse than yesterday’s.
Worst is used to form the superlative of compound adjectives beginning with 'bad' and 'badly'. For example, the superlative of 'badly-affected' is 'worst-affected'.
Definition of worst adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
There are 17 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word worst, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
