worth / wər[unvoicedth]/ • adj. equivalent in value to the sum or item specified: jewelry worth $450 was taken. ∎  sufficiently good, important, or interesting to justify a specified action; deserving to be treated or regarded in the way specified: the museums in the district are well worth a visit. ∎  used to suggest that the specified course of action may be advisable: a meat and potato dish that's worth checking out. ∎  having income or property amounting to a specified sum: she is worth $10 million.• n. the value equivalent to that of someone or something under consideration; the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated: they had to listen to every piece of gossip and judge its worth. ∎  an amount of a commodity equivalent to a specified sum of money: he admitted stealing 10,000 dollars' worth of computer systems. ∎  the amount that could be achieved or produced in a specified time: the companies have debts greater than two years' worth of their sales. ∎  high value or merit: he is noble and gains his position by showing his inner worth.PHRASES: for all someone is worth inf. 1. as energetically or enthusiastically as someone can: he thumps the drums for all he's worth. 2. so as to obtain everything one can from someone: the youths milked him for all he was worth and then disappeared.for what it is worth used to present a comment, suggestion, or opinion without making a claim as to its importance or validity: for what it's worth, she's very highly thought of abroad.worth it inf. sufficiently good, enjoyable, or successful to repay any effort, trouble, or expense: it requires a bit of patience to learn, but it's well worth it.worth one's saltsee salt.worth one's while (or worth while) see while.

worth the worth of a thing is what it will bring proverbial saying, mid 16th century, meaning that the real value of something can only be measured by what another person is willing to pay for it; a comparable Latin saying is ‘valet quantum vendi potest [it is worth as much as it can be sold for].’

See also a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, not worth the candle, an ounce of practice is worth a pound of precept, one picture is worth ten thousand words, worth one's salt, one volunteer is worth two pressed men.

worth3 (arch.) come to be, become. OE. str. vb. weorðan, wurðan = OS. werðan (Du. worden), OHG. werdan (G. werden), ON. verða, Goth. wairþan :- Gmc. *werþan, f. IE. *wert, whence L. vertere, OSl. vrītēti turn, Skr. vártate turns, passes on, takes place.

worth1 money value (e.g. pennyworth) OE.; relative value in character XIV; (high) personal merit XVI. OE. w(e)orð, wurð = OS. werð, OHG. werd (G. wert), ON. verð, Goth. wairþ; sb. use of next.
Hence worthless XVI.

worth2 of the value of a specified amount OE.; having a value of (so much) XII; possessed of XV. OE. w(e)orð, wurð = OS. werð, MDu. w(a)ert (Du. waard), OHG. werd (G. wert), ON. verðr, Goth. wairþs; Gmc., of uncert. orig.