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If a possible worst-case scenario actually occurs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Originally in the form "if the worst come to the worst" with the subjunctive "if it come to" in the sense of "if the worst possible outcome should become the worst possible reality". Often used even today with the same two definite articles, and this is the only form recorded for British English in some dictionaries.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
Bashkir:
һис юғында
(his yuğında)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Belarusian:
на благі канец
(na blahi kanjec)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Catalan:
en el pitjor dels casos
— if a bad situation develops
-
Catalan:
si passa el pitjor
— if a bad situation develops
-
Chinese Mandarin:
大不了
(dàbùliǎo)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Dutch:
in het ergste geval
— if a bad situation develops
-
Dutch:
in het slechtste geval
— if a bad situation develops
-
Esperanto:
en la plej malbona okazo
— if a bad situation develops
-
Estonian:
kõige hullemal juhul
— if a bad situation develops
-
Finnish:
pahimmassa tapauksessa
— if a bad situation develops
-
French:
si le pire devait arriver
— if a bad situation develops
-
French:
dans le pire des cas
— if a bad situation develops
-
Galician:
no peor dos casos
— if a bad situation develops
-
German:
wenn alle Stricke reißen
— if a bad situation develops
-
German:
wenn es zum Schlimmsten kommt
— if a bad situation develops
-
German:
wenn es zum Äußersten kommt
— if a bad situation develops
-
German:
schlimmstenfalls
— if a bad situation develops
-
Greek:
σε ἐσχατη ἀνάγκη
(se eschati anágki)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Hungarian:
a legrosszabb esetben
— if a bad situation develops
-
Hungarian:
ha minden kötél szakad
— if a bad situation develops
-
Ingush:
ца хулча даьлча
(ca xulča dälča)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Italian:
nel peggiore dei casi
— if a bad situation develops
-
Italian:
alle brutte
— if a bad situation develops
-
Japanese:
最悪の場合
(saiaku no baai)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Latvian:
ļaunākajā gadījumā
— if a bad situation develops
-
Norwegian Bokmål:
i verste fall
— if a bad situation develops
-
Norwegian Nynorsk:
i verste fall
— if a bad situation develops
-
Polish:
w najgorszym razie
— if a bad situation develops
-
Polish:
w najgorszym wypadku
— if a bad situation develops
-
Portuguese:
na pior das hipóteses
— if a bad situation develops
-
Romansh:
en il mender cas
— if a bad situation develops
-
Romansh:
a la pira
— if a bad situation develops
-
Russian:
на худо́й коне́ц
(na xudój konéc)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Russian:
в ху́дшем слу́чае
(v xúdšem slúčaje)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Slovak:
v najhoršom prípade
— if a bad situation develops
-
Swedish:
i värsta fall
— if a bad situation develops
-
Tatar:
һич югында
(hiç yuğında)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Turkish:
en kötü ihtimalle
— if a bad situation develops
-
Turkish:
daha kötüsü olursa
— if a bad situation develops
-
Turkish:
çok gerekli olursa
— if a bad situation develops
-
Ukrainian:
в кра́йньому разі
(v krájnʹomu razi)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Ukrainian:
на худи́й кіне́ць
(na xudýj kinécʹ)
— if a bad situation develops
-
Ukrainian:
в найгі́ршому випа́дку
(v najhíršomu vypádku)
— if a bad situation develops
