Etymology: < worthy adj.Attested as the second element of compound adjectives in sense 1 from the early 13th cent. onward, often in alterations of earlier adjectives in wurthe adj. (compare e.g. likeworthy adj. beside earlier likewurthe adj., dearworthy adj. beside earlier dearworth adj., loveworthy adj. beside love-worth adj., stalworthy adj. beside stalworth adj., etc.). For a later Middle English formation with a counterpart in worth adj., compare also thankworthy adj. (beside thankworth adj.; compare also Old English þancwyrðe : see wurthe adj.). Independent formations in sense 1 occur from the 14th cent., as e.g. deathworthy adj., jape-worthy adj. at jape n. Compounds, blameworthy adj., and become more numerous in the 16th cent. (compare e.g. faithworthy adj., honour-worthy adj. at honour n. Derivatives, praiseworthy adj., noteworthy adj., faultworthy adj., creditworthy adj., and nameworthy adj.) and the 17th cent. (compare e.g. wonder-worthy adj. at wonder n. Compounds 2a(c), scorn-worthy adj. at scorn n. Compounds, fame-worthy adj. at fame n.1 Compounds 1b, and laughworthy adj.). For an 18th-cent. formation apparently showing adaptation from German, compare markworthy adj. Formations in sense 2 are attested from the beginning of the 19th cent., earliest in seaworthy adj. This element usually combines with nouns; for occasional formations on the stems of verbs, compare punishworthy adj., cringeworthy adj.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online January 2018).
comb. form