Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Deserving respect, admiration, or support: Having good qualities that are recognized and valued; honorable.
   • Deserving of something: Having sufficient merit or importance to justify a particular action, reaction, or condition.

2. Noun:

   • A person of importance or high standing: Often used humorously or ironically to refer to a notable or respected person in a community.

Examples

• Adjective:

  • She dedicated her life to worthy causes like education and poverty relief.
  • His brave actions were worthy of a medal.
  • This is a worthy opponent; we must prepare carefully for the match.

• Noun:

  • The town's worthies gathered for the annual festival planning meeting.
  • He was introduced to the local worthies, including the mayor and the bank manager.

Advanced Usage

• "Worthy of": This is the most common construction, used to indicate that something deserves or merits the thing that follows.

  • The discovery is worthy of further investigation. (The discovery deserves more investigation.)
  • Her performance was not worthy of her true talent. (Her performance did not deserve the high standard of her talent.)

• As a suffix "-worthy": Can be added to nouns to form adjectives meaning "deserving of" or "suitable for."

  • The film was praiseworthy for its original storytelling. (Deserving praise.)
  • Is this container seaworthy? (Suitable for sea travel.)

Variants and Related Words

• Worthily (adverb): In a way that deserves respect or merit.
  • He acted worthily in a difficult situation.
• Worthiness (noun): The quality of being worthy.
  • The committee questioned the worthiness of the project for funding.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Deserving, commendable, admirable, reputable, honorable, estimable, meritorious.
• Noun: Dignitary, notable, luminary, personage.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Unworthy, worthless, undeserving, contemptible, disreputable.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• A worthy cause: A charitable project or goal that is considered deserving of support.
  • Donating to the children's hospital is a worthy cause.
• Worthy adversary/opponent: A competitor who is respected because they are good at what they do.
  • The chess champion finally met a worthy opponent.

Adjective

1. having qualities or abilities that merit recognition in some way
   • behavior worthy of reprobation
   • a fact worthy of attention
2. worthy of being chosen especially as a spouse
   • the parents found the girl suitable for their son
3. having worth or merit or value; being honorable or admirable
   • a worthy fellow
   • a worthy cause

Noun

1. an important, honorable person (word is often used humorously)
   • he told his story to some conservative worthies
   • local worthies rarely challenged the chief constable