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worthwhile

[ wurth-hwahyl, -wahyl ]

/ ˈwɜrθˈʰwaɪl, -ˈwaɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR worthwhile ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

such as to repay one's time, attention, interest, work, trouble, etc.: a worthwhile book.

Origin of worthwhile

First recorded in 1865–70; worth¹ + while

SYNONYMS FOR worthwhile

valuable, rewarding, beneficial.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR worthwhile ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM worthwhile

worth·while·ness, noun

Words nearby worthwhile

worth one's while, worthful, worthing, worthington, worthless, worthwhile, worthy, worthy of the name, wot, wotan, wotcher

Example sentences from the Web for worthwhile

The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known.

Michael Sam, the First Openly Gay NFL Draftee, Has Earned the Right to Play Ball |Robert Silverman |August 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Dr. Saltz also believes confronting the uncomfortable realities of your past can be worthwhile.

Should You Confront Your Old Bully? |Keli Goff |August 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
If these are the kinds of questions that the select committee examines, maybe it will be a worthwhile exercise.

My Benghazi Scandal |Eleanor Clift |May 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
This was a major obstacle to getting even the most worthwhile projects past the planning stages.

Inside the Port Authority, the Corrupt Powerhouse Behind Christie’s Bridgegate Scandal |Jim Epstein |January 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

This is that rare book which is at once worthwhile and great fun.

Britain’s Last Great King: The Epic Life and Indulgences of Edward VII |Michael Korda |December 14, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
He did not do much business with the carnivals; there weren't enough to keep him busy with large or worthwhile rides and features.

Pleasant Journey |Richard F. Thieme
The students who are most exemplary in worthwhile endeavor are prominent in these courses and organizations.

The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920 |Various
All through the Rhymes will be found here and there many stanzas full of common uncommon sense, worthwhile for children.

Negro Folk Rhymes |Thomas W. Talley
What critic, with these facts before him, will think it worthwhile to break a lance with the poet?

Writings in the United Amateur, 1915-1922 |Howard Phillips Lovecraft
It has always been my conviction that Rivers is,—or was, a worthwhile man.

The Man Who Fell Through the Earth |Carolyn Wells

British Dictionary definitions for worthwhile

worthwhile

/ (ˌwɜːθˈwaɪl) /

adjective

sufficiently important, rewarding, or valuable to justify time or effort spent