worth
B1Neutral to formal (common in all registers)
Definition
Meaning
The value, importance, or usefulness of something, often expressed in monetary or equivalent terms.
Deserving of something, having a quality justifying a particular action or reaction; the amount that can be bought for a specific sum.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a predicative adjective (e.g., 'It is worth £10') or a noun. Rarely used attributively (before a noun). The meaning bridges concrete value and abstract merit.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The prepositional structure 'worth of' (e.g., 'a week's worth of food') is slightly more common in AmE. BrE may prefer 'value' in some formal financial contexts.
Connotations
Identical in core meaning. Both use 'worth' heavily in figurative senses (e.g., 'worth the effort').
Frequency
Slightly higher relative frequency in American English according to corpus data, but the difference is negligible for learners.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
BE worth + NP (money/time)BE worth + -ing formNP + of + worth (e.g., a man of worth)BE worth itVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “For what it's worth”
- “Worth one's salt”
- “Worth its weight in gold”
- “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”
- “Not worth the paper it's printed on”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to monetary valuation, e.g., 'company's net worth', 'investment worth millions'.
Academic
Used in evaluative contexts, e.g., 'the theory is worth investigating', 'artefact of historical worth'.
Everyday
Common in recommendations and evaluations, e.g., 'Is this film worth watching?', 'It's not worth the hassle.'
Technical
In finance: 'book worth', 'replacement worth'. In ethics/philosophy: 'intrinsic worth'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- This antique vase is worth a fortune.
- The view from the top is well worth the climb.
American English
- That car isn't worth repairing.
- The advice she gave was worth its weight in gold.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My bike is worth £50.
- Is this book worth reading?
- The movie was not very good.
- The jewellery was worth over a thousand pounds.
- It's worth checking the website for updates.
- He proved his worth to the team.
- For what it's worth, I think you made the right decision.
- The potential benefits are worth the inherent risks.
- She established her worth as a leading researcher.
- The intangible worth of cultural heritage is often overlooked in economic analyses.
- The theory, while controversial, is worth grappling with for its innovative framework.
- His net worth fluctuated wildly with the volatile stock market.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the word 'WORTH' as asking 'What is it WORTH?' – it's about the price or the merit of something.
Conceptual Metaphor
VALUE IS WEALTH (e.g., 'a wealth of experience'), IMPORTANCE IS SIZE (e.g., 'a man of great worth').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of 'стоить' for actions. Russian 'Оно стоит того' maps to 'It is worth it.', not 'It costs it.'
- The adjective 'worth' is not used before a noun. 'A worth book' is incorrect; use 'a valuable book'.
- Confusion with 'worthy', which means 'deserving' and is used attributively (e.g., a worthy cause).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'It is worth to visit.' Correct: 'It is worth visiting.' or 'It is worth a visit.'
- Incorrect: 'This is a worth idea.' Correct: 'This idea is worth considering.' or 'This is a worthwhile idea.'
- Incorrect: 'How much worth is it?' Correct: 'How much is it worth?'
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'worth' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Worth' is almost always used after a verb like 'is', 'seems', or 'proves'. Use 'valuable' or 'worthwhile' before a noun (e.g., a valuable book).
'Worth' is used with a noun, pronoun, or -ing form (worth £5, worth it, worth doing). 'Worthy' means 'deserving' and is often followed by 'of' + noun or used before a noun (worthy of praise, a worthy cause).
Yes, it's a very common and correct phrase. 'It' refers to the action or situation previously mentioned, meaning the benefit justifies the cost or effort.
Use the structure: Subject + be verb + worth + -ing form. The subject of the main clause is also the implied subject of the -ing verb. Example: 'The museum is worth visiting.' (You visit the museum).