Forms: α. 1 wyrst, wyrrest, wierst, 2–3 wurst, 4–5 worste, 6 woorst, 4– worst. β. 1–2 wærst, 3–6 werst (3, 6 Sc. verst, Orm. werrst, 4 werist), 4–5 werste, 6– Sc. warst. [OE. wyrrest, wyrst, wierst = ON. (Icel., Norw.) verst (Sw. värst, Da. værst). Cf. WORST a.] In a manner, or to a degree, that is most (or extremely) bad or evil.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxxii. 209. Ðonne hie wenen ðæt hie hæbben betst ʓedon, ðæt we him ðonne secgen ðæt hie hæbben wierst [Cott. wyrst] ʓedon.
a. 1000. Boeth. Metr., xxxiv. 60. Þa ofermodan oðre rican ðe þis weriʓe folc wyrst tuciað.
a. 1122. O. E. Chron., an. 1087 (Laud MS.). [He] dyde ʓit eallra wærst ofer eall þæt land.
a. 1200. St. Marher., 14. Þis beoð þe wepnen þet me wurst wundeð.
c. 1200. Ormin, 4250. Uss birrþ clippenn all aweȝȝ Þe flæshess fule wille, Þatt allre werrst & allre mast Werdeþþ þe wrecche sawle.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 68. Of alle wymmanne Wurst was godhild þanne.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 21450. [I shall treat him] Þe werst [Gött. werist] þat euer i can or mai.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 2809. Þat me greueþ werst.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 370. As þe peple of israel wern werste gouernyd undir her prestis.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 121. Thus he, which love hadde in desdeign, Worste of all othre was besein. Ibid., II. 15. Whan that he worst ferde.
1549. Compl. Scotl., vii. 69. The thrid part of hyr mantil … vas verst grathit.
c. 1560. A. Scott, Poems, xvi. 46. Thay cary victuallis to þe toun That werst dois dyne.
1575. Gascoigne, Glasse Govt., Wks. 1910, II. 11. I am not the worst furnished of a servaunt with this good fellow.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., IV. iii. 106. When thou did’st hate him worst.
1629. N. Carpenter, Architophel, II. (1640), 66. Oftentimes he that can best act, can worst pen his own part.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., IV. 142. The Turkes Sabboth is worst kept of all.
1786. Burns, Twa Dogs, 205. But Gentlemen, an’ Ladies warst, Wi’ ev’n down want o’ wark are curst. Ibid. (1787), John Barleycorn, xi. But a miller us’d him worst of all, For he crush’d him between two stones. Ibid., ‘My Father was a Farmer,’ iii. And when my hope was at the top, I still was worst mistaken.
1888. Saintsbury, in Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 293/1. In this great mass [of correspondence] Voltaire’s personality is of course best shown, and perhaps his literary qualities not worst.
b. With a vb. of liking, loving, allowing, pleasing, etc.: Least well, least.
971. Blickl. Hom., 195. Oft hit ʓesæleþ þæt his æhta weorþaþ on þæs onwealde þe he ær on his life wyrrest uþe.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 4386 (Fairf.). I salle þe make wiþ myne housbande þe werst lourd [Cott. luue] of alle þis lande.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. xxxvii. 84. Oftyme suche maystres as ben of lest reputacion ben mooste necessary, and worst mowe ben myssed.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem., II. (Arb.), 153. Cæsar and Cicero, whose puritie was neuer foiled, no not by the sentence of those, that loued them worst.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. (1586), 150. Swine of other beastes can woorst away with hunger.
1608. Shaks., Per., IV. iii. 21. Of all the faults beneath the heauens, the Gods doe like this worst. Ibid. (1613), Hen. VIII., V. iii. 78. I cry your Honour mercie; you may worst Of all this Table say so.
1634. J. Levett, Ordering Bees, 8. Bees of all other creatures can worst away with any great noyse.
1786. Burns, ‘What ails ye now,’ xii. But, Sir, this pleas’d them warst ava.
c. Comb., as worst-affected, -bred, -damaged, -deserving; -favo(u)red (Sc. -faurd), -formed, -governed, -looking, -managed, -manned, -paid, -used adjs.
1556. Aurelio & Isab. (1608), F 5. The pehenne (the whiche of price unto him without comparison is the worste faverdeste).
1701. Rowe, Amb. Step-Mother, II. i. What Titles had they had,… if Nature had not Strove hard to thrust the worst-deserving first?
1721. Amherst, Terræ Filius, xxxii. 170. His majesty’s worst-affected subjects.
1751. Chesterf., Lett. (1774), II. 103. The worst-bred man in Europe, if a lady let fall her fan, would certainly take it up and give it her.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 283. In the worst-formed bodies … there lies an immortal spirit.
1813. Hogg, Queen’s Wake, 74. The warst-faurd wyfe on the shoris of Fyfe Is cumlye comparet wi’ thee.
1831. Scott, Ct. Robt., xxiii. Waiting for the slowest and worst manned vessels.
1835. Dickens, Sk. Boz, Streets—Morning. The hardest worked, the worst paid, and too often, the worst used class of the community. Ibid. (1853), Bleak Ho., ix. I thought him the worst-looking dog I had ever beheld.
1857. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., II. 318. The worst-used woman I ever knew.
1871. Le Fanu, Checkmate, I. 276. I believe that we are the worst-governed and the worst-managed people on earth.
1890. W. J. Gordon, Foundry, 55. The worst-damaged plate was taken out, re-rolled, and replaced.
