Words / B2

wurth-WYL/ˌwɜːθˈwaɪl/

Worthwhile means worth the time, money, or effort: a worthwhile EPQ; worthwhile to wait. Worth is the shorter cousin (worth it / worth doing, already in the dictionary); valuable stresses worth in itself. A worthwhile EPQ still needs a question. Mix-up: worthless means of no value. Do not write worthwhile of.

Meaning

Worth the time, money, or effort; useful or valuable.

Examples

• “A worthwhile EPQ still needs a question, not a topic dumped from a video.”
• “The extra clinic was worthwhile for borderline candidates, which is the effort-payoff sense.”

Good to know

a worthwhile + noun; it is worthwhile to + verb. Cousin: worth + -ing. Opposite: worthless. Trap: “worthwhile of”. Planning and evaluations. Worth the effort.

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