worth
adjective/wɜːθ/
/wɜːrθ/
[not before noun] used like a preposition, followed by a noun, pronoun or number, or by the -ing form of a verbIdioms - 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 pricepricecost ▪ value ▪ expense ▪ worthThese words all refer to the amount of money that you have to pay for something.price the amount of money that you have to pay for an item or service:see also net worthTopics Moneyb1- house prices
- How much are these? They don’t have a price on them.
- I can’t afford it at that price.
- A new computer system has been installed at a cost of £80 000.
- The winner will receive a prize to the value of £1 000.
- The garden was transformed at great expense.
- Running a car is a big expense.
- He has a personal net worth of $10 million.
- the high price/cost/value
- the real/true price/cost/value/worth
- to put/set a price/value on something
- to increase/reduce the price/cost/value/expense
- to raise/double/lower the price/cost/value
- to cut the price/cost
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- prove
- become
- …
- really
- well
- certainly
- …
- to
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- 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.
Extra ExamplesTopics Suggestions and adviceb2- Most of the candidates were not considered worth interviewing.
- This book is well worth reading.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- prove
- become
- …
- really
- well
- certainly
- …
- to
- 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.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- prove
- become
- …
- really
- well
- certainly
- …
- to
- worth something (of a person) having money and possessions of a particular value
- He's worth £10 million.
Word OriginOld English w(e)orth (adjective and noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch waard and German wert.
Idioms
See worth in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee worth in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englisha 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.
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.
(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).
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