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worthy

noun

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L330631 on Wikidata ↗

adjective

  1. judged acceptable, often for religious purposes
L52447 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈwɜːði/ / /ˈwɝði/

adj

Etymology: From Middle English worthy, wurthi, from Old English *weorþiġ (“worthy”), equivalent to worth + -y. Cognate with Dutch waardig (“worthy”), Middle Low German werdig (“worthy”), German würdig (“worthy”), Swedish värdig (“worthy”), Icelandic verðugur (“worthy”).

  1. Having worth, merit, or value.

    These banished men that I have kept withal / Are men endued with worthy qualities

    This worthy mind should worthy things embrace.

  2. Admirable or honourable.

    that such iron moulds as these shall have autority to knaw out the choicest periods of exquisitest books, and to commit such a treacherous fraud against the orphan remainders of worthiest men after death, the more sorrow will belong to that haples race of men, whose misfortune it is to have understanding.

  3. Deserving, or having sufficient worth.

    1 And I saw in þe right hand of him that sate on the Throne, a booke written within, & on the backeside, sealed with seuen seales. 2 And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loude voice; Who is worthy to open the booke, and to loose the seales thereof? 3 And no man in heauen, nor in earth, neither vnder the earth, was able to open the booke, neither to looke thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open, and to reade the booke, neither to looke thereon.

    [I]t is a deed of higheſt charitie to help undeceive the people, and a vvork vvorthieſt your autoritie, […]

  4. Suited; suitable; befitting.

    No, Warwick, thou art worthy of the sway.

    […] whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.

name

Etymology: Possibly from worthy.

  1. A surname.
  2. A hamlet in Porlock parish, Somerset, England (OS grid ref SS8548).

noun

Etymology: From Middle English worthy, wurthi, from Old English *weorþiġ (“worthy”), equivalent to worth + -y. Cognate with Dutch waardig (“worthy”), Middle Low German werdig (“worthy”), German würdig (“worthy”), Swedish värdig (“worthy”), Icelandic verðugur (“worthy”).

  1. A distinguished or eminent person.

    That worthy one day, in our absence, being caught in the act of culpable talpicide, was rebuked by his mistress for disobeying his master's orders.

  2. a good, wise and virtuous person.

    Confucius and Mencius are revered as the Sages and Worthies of Confucianism.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English worthien, wurthien, from Old English weorþian (“to esteem, honor, worship, distinguish, celebrate, exalt, praise, adorn, deck, enrich, reward”), from Proto-Germanic *werþōną (“to be worthy, estimate, appreciate, appraise”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with German werten (“to rate, judge, grade, score”), Swedish värdera (“to evaluate, rate, size up, assess, estimate”), Icelandic virða (“to respect, esteem”).

  1. To render or treat as worthy.

    And put upon him such a deal of man, That worthied him, got praises of the king […]

    After having duly paid his addresses to it, he generally spends some time on the marble slab in front of the looking-glass, but without showing the slightest emotion at the sight of his own reflection, or worthying it with a song.