worth
worth
adjective
/wɜːθ/
not before noun
used like a preposition, followed by a noun, pronoun or number, or by the -ing form of a verb
1 worth something having a value in money, etc.
Our house is worth about £100 000.
How much is this painting worth?
to be worth a bomb/packet/fortune (= a lot of money)
It isn't worth much.
If you answer this question correctly, it's worth five points.
This order is potentially worth millions of pounds to the company.
Synonyms price
TOPICS Money B1
Collocations Dictionary
verbs
beprovebecome…
adverb
reallywellcertainly…
preposition
to
2 used to recommend the action mentioned because you think it may be useful, pleasant, etc.
worth something The museum is certainly worth a visit.
worth doing something This idea is well worth considering.
It's so unimportant it's hardly worth mentioning.
It's worth making an appointment before you go.
It's always worth paying the extra £3 for next-day delivery.
TOPICS Suggestions and advice B2
3 important, good or pleasant enough to make somebody feel satisfied, especially when difficulty or effort is involved
worth something Was it worth the effort?
The new house really wasn't worth all the expense involved.
The job involves a lot of hard work but it's worth it.
The trip was expensive but it was worth every penny.
worth doing something The film is definitely worth seeing.
SEE ALSO worthwhile
4 ​worth something (of a person) having money and possessions of a particular value
He's worth £10 million.
Idioms
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
​(saying) it is better to keep something that you already have than to risk losing it by trying to get much more
for all somebody/it is worth
​in a very determined way, with great energy and effort
He was rowing for all he was worth.
​in order to get as much as you can from somebody/something
She is milking her success for all it's worth.
for what it’s worth
​(informal) used to emphasize that what you are saying is only your own opinion or suggestion and may not be very helpful
I prefer this colour, for what it's worth.
TOPICS Opinion and argumentC2, Suggestions and adviceC2
more than your job’s worth (to do something)
​(British English, informal) not worth doing because it is against the rules or because it might cause you to lose your job
It's more than my job's worth to let you in without a ticket.
SEE ALSO jobsworth
(the game is) not worth the candle
​(old-fashioned, saying) the advantages to be gained from doing something are not great enough, considering the effort or cost involved
If the price goes up again, he may decide that the game’s not worth the candle.
not worth the paper it’s written/printed on
​(of an agreement or official document) having no value, especially legally, or because one of the people involved has no intention of doing what they said they would
worth your/its salt
​deserving respect, especially because you do your job well
Any teacher worth her salt knows that.
worth your/its weight in gold
​very useful or valuable
A good mechanic is worth his weight in gold.
worth somebody’s while
​interesting or useful for somebody to do
It will be worth your while to come to the meeting.
He'll do the job if you make it worth his while (= pay him well).
worth
noun
/wɜːθ/
uncountable
1 ten dollars’, £40, etc. worth of something an amount of something that has the value mentioned
The winner will receive fifty pounds' worth of books.
The floods caused tens of millions of pounds' worth of damage.
a dollar’s worth of change
2 ​a week’s, month’s, etc. worth of something an amount of something that lasts a week, etc.
​3 the financial, practical or moral value of somebody/something
Their contribution was of great worth.
The activities help children to develop a sense of their own worth.
A good interview enables candidates to prove their worth (= show how good they are).
SEE ALSO net worth
TOPICS Money B1
Collocations Dictionary
adjective
realtrueinherent…
verb + worth
havedemonstrateprove…
preposition
of worthworth to
phrases
a sense of (your own) worth
Idioms
get your money’s worth
​to get enough value or pleasure out of something, considering the amount of money, time, etc. that you are spending on it
Let’s spend all day there and really get our money’s worth.
The boat trip lasts three hours, so you certainly get your money's worth.
Synonyms price
put in your two cents’ worth
(North American English)
(British English put in your two pennyworth, put in your two penn’orth)
​(informal) to give your opinion about something, even if other people do not want to hear it
TOPICS Opinion and argument C2
Word Origin
Old English w(e)orth (adjective and noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch waard and German wert.