What does worthed mean?
Worthed is a rare English adjective meaning worthy, deserving, or held in high esteem. It is an old formation connected with the familiar noun and verb “worth,” but it should not be treated as a common modern substitute for “worthy.” In present-day use it is most likely to appear in historical writing or in the fixed expression “well worthed,” as in “a well-worthed servant.” The word can suggest not merely practical usefulness but moral or personal value: someone described as worthed may be trusted, respected, and considered deserving of loyalty or reward. Its rarity gives it a formal, dated, and occasionally affected quality in contemporary prose. Although “worthed” may also be understood historically as an obsolete inflected form of the verb “worth,” its best-known lexical use is adjectival. For clear modern English, “worthy” or “esteemed” will usually communicate the intended idea more directly.
adjectiveHaving worth or value; worthy of esteem. The word is archaic or literary and is now chiefly encountered in historical texts and the rare phrase “well worthed.”
- Having worth or value; worthy of esteem.
- Deserving or held in high regard.
"The well-worthed servant had served the household faithfully for many years."
"The well-worthed servant was entrusted with important responsibilities."
"His worthed counsel settled the dispute without antagonizing either party."
“Worthed” preserves an older sense of personal value that survives most often in the timeworn phrase “well worthed.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of worthed
The word belongs to the English family formed from “worth,” whose Old English ancestor was “weorþ,” denoting value or esteem. The adjective “worthed” developed from that older root with the participial ending -ed and came to mean worthy or deserving. Related forms include “worthy,” “worthwhile,” and “worthiness”; the closely related German “wert” reflects a shared Germanic ancestry. “Worthed” survives principally in older writing and in “well worthed.”
How worthed is actually used
This is an archaic or literary word rather than standard modern vocabulary. It can sound affected if used in casual speech, and the expression “well worthed” is much more recognizable than the adjective standing alone.
Easily confused with worthed
“Worthed” is a rare adjectival form meaning worthy or esteemed, whereas “worth” is the modern noun and verb expressing value or merit.
“Worthed” refers to deserving or being held in esteem, while “rewarded” means receiving a payment, prize, or other recompense.