different between worst vs wurst

English

Etymology

From Middle English worste, wurste, warste, werste, wirste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic *wirsistaz, superlative form of *ubilaz (“bad, evil”). Cognate with Old Saxon wirsista, wirrista (“worst”), Old High German wirst, wirsesto, wirsisto (“worst”), Danish værst (“worst”), Swedish värst (“worst”), Icelandic verstur (“worst”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /w??st/
• (US) IPA^(key): /w?st/
• Rhymes: -??(r)st

Adjective

worst

1. superlative form of bad: most bad
   1. Most inferior; doing the least good.

   2. Most unfavorable.

   3. Most harmful or severe.

   4. Used with the definite article and an implied noun: something that is worst.

2. superlative form of ill: most ill

Usage notes

The comparative badder (for worse) and superlative baddest (for worst) derived from the positive bad are nonstandard. Worst may be further inflected to form the two additional superlatives worstest (nonstandard) and worstestest (informal, humorous). The comparative worser is also nonstandard.

Synonyms

• (most bad): baddest (nonstandard)
• (most ill): illest (nonstandard)

Antonyms

• best

Derived terms

Related terms

• worse

Translations

Noun

worst (usually uncountable, plural worsts)

1. something or someone that is the worst

Translations

Adverb

worst

1. superlative form of bad: most bad

2. superlative form of ill: most ill

Translations

Verb

worst (third-person singular simple present worsts, present participle worsting, simple past and past participle worsted)

1. (archaic, transitive) To make worse.
2. (dated, intransitive) To grow worse; to deteriorate.

   • Anne haggard, Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood worsting.

3. (rare) To outdo or defeat, especially in battle.

   • The […] Philistines were worsted by the captivated ark.

   • 1869, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women.

     Jo carried her love of liberty and hate of conventionalities to such an unlimited extent that she naturally found herself worsted in an argument.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:worst.

Anagrams

• rowts, strow, trows, worts

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch worst, from Old Dutch *wurst, *worst, from Proto-Germanic *wurstiz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??rst/
• Hyphenation: worst
• Rhymes: -?rst

Noun

worst f (plural worsten, diminutive worstje n)

1. sausage

Derived terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: wors
  • ? English: wors

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *wurst, *worst, from Proto-Germanic *wurstiz.

Noun

worst f

1. sausage

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: worst
  • Afrikaans: wors
    • ? English: wors
• Limburgish: wósj

Further reading

• “worst”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “worst”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, ?ISBN

English

Alternative forms

• würst

Etymology

[1890] Borrowed from German Wurst (“sausage, wurst”), from Middle High German wurst, from Old High German wurst, from Proto-Germanic *wurstiz (“something turned or twisted”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert-, *werd- (“to turn”). Akin to Old Saxon worst (“wurst”), Old English weorþan (“to turn, become”). Doublet of wors. Unrelated to worsted (“type of yarn”). More at worth (“to be, become, betide”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /w?st/, /v?st/, /v??st/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /w??st/, /v??st/, /v??st/
• Homophone: worst (one pronunciation)
• Rhymes: -??(?)st

Noun

wurst (plural wursts)

1. A German- or Austrian-style sausage.
   • 2011, Dardis McNamee, Frommer's Austria

     In summer, you're welcomed into a flower-decked garden set against a backdrop of ancient vineyards. You can fill up your platter with some of the best wursts and roast meats (especially the delectable pork), along with freshly made salads.

Translations

Derived terms

• blood wurst
• liverwurst

German

Alternative forms

• wurscht, Wurst

Pronunciation

Adverb

wurst

1. (colloquial) anyway, anyhow

Synonyms

• egal
• schnuppe

Further reading

• “wurst” in Duden online