Phrase guide

worth one's while

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Beneficial and important enough on which to spend time, effort, or money.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Doing volunteer work to help others is truly worth one's while.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 值得 (zhídé) — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Chinese Mandarin: 划算 (huásuàn) — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Chinese Mandarin: 划得來 (huádelái) — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Danish: umagen værd — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Dutch: de moeite waard — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Finnish: vaivan arvoinen — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • French: valoir la peine — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Polish: opłacalny — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Portuguese: valer a pena — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Russian: сто́ящий (stójaščij) — important enough to spend time, effort or money on
  • Russian: сто́ить того́ (stóitʹ tovó) — important enough to spend time, effort or money on