worst offadv.adj.n.

Brit.

/ˌwəːst ˈɒf/, U.S.

/ˌwərst ˈɔf/,

/ˌwərst ˈɑf/

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: worst adv., off adv.

Etymology: < worst adv. + off adv. Compare earlier worse off adv. and best off adv. Compare also earlier badly off at badly adv. 2c.

A. adv.

Used predicatively: in the least favourable or advantageous position; (now) esp. least well provided with money or other resources.Opposed to best off adv.With quot. 1734 cf. note at off adv. 10.

1734 A. F. Prévost d'Exiles Life Mr. Cleveland II. 110 I believe you would not have come the worst off, had heaven given you one of them [sc. a daughter].]

1781 P. Beckford Thoughts on Hunting xxii. 290 The shortest legged horses, and longest legged riders, were worst off.

1846 F. Schroeder Shores of Mediterranean I. 209 None of us had slept the last night, and I was by no means the worst off of all.

1873 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers' Monthly Jrnl. Oct. 455/2 Some persons are worst off when too well known—others when not known sufficiently.

1948 Times 8 Mar. 5 The improvement which has been made in the lot of those who were worst off then [sc. before the war].

1991 S. Faludi Backlash ii. iv. 93 Good Housekeeping was worst off; its advertising pages had shrunk more than 13 percent in the year before the magazine launched the New Traditionalist campaign.

2011 A. I. Dale & S. Kotz A. L. Bowley v. 185 The class that had been worst off before the war was now receiving relief.

B. adj.

In attributive use. Usually with hyphen. Least favourably placed or advantaged; esp. least wealthy or well-to-do; poorest.Opposed to best off adj.

1856 Parl. Deb. 3rd Ser. 141 1449 As regarded promotion they [sc. the Engineers] were the ‘worst off’ corps in the service.

1895 D. B. W. Sladen On Cars & Off xxvi. 389 The clerk..is, as usual, the worst-off person in the community.

1908 Sunday School Jrnl. Feb. 139/1 Christ usually looks for the worst-off unfortunates.

1989 S. M. DeLue Polit. Obligation in Liberal State 111 Overall there will be a worst off position, wherein people at the bottom of the society have the least amount of income and wealth.

2007 Daily Record (Glasgow) (Nexis) 14 Aug. 1 The charity will launch a campaign this autumn to try to help Britain's worst-off kids.

C. n.

With the and plural agreement. Those who are in the least favourable or advantageous position; esp. people who are worst off financially, considered as a class.

1881 Baptist Missionary Mag. 61 4/1 The principle of his life was to go to the worst off, to those who are the most hungry.

1918 F. G. Peabody Educ. for Life xii. 309 The distance separating the better off from the ‘worst off’ must be reduced, not by depressing the better off, but by lifting the ‘worst off’.

1998 Housing Agenda Apr. 14/2 The concentration of the worst off on social housing estates can aggravate the vicious circle of poverty and disconnection.

2015 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 17 Dec. 15 The council-tax freeze offers the smallest savings to the worst off while cuts hit them hardest.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2017; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	worst off
释义	worst offadv.adj.n. Brit. /ˌwəːst ˈɒf/, U.S. /ˌwərst ˈɔf/, /ˌwərst ˈɑf/ Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: worst adv., off adv. Etymology: < worst adv. + off adv. Compare earlier worse off adv. and best off adv. Compare also earlier badly off at badly adv. 2c. A. adv. Used predicatively: in the least favourable or advantageous position; (now) esp. least well provided with money or other resources.Opposed to best off adv.With quot. 1734 cf. note at off adv. 10. Π 1734 A. F. Prévost d'Exiles Life Mr. Cleveland II. 110 I believe you would not have come the worst off, had heaven given you one of them [sc. a daughter].] 1781 P. Beckford Thoughts on Hunting xxii. 290 The shortest legged horses, and longest legged riders, were worst off. 1846 F. Schroeder Shores of Mediterranean I. 209 None of us had slept the last night, and I was by no means the worst off of all. 1873 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers' Monthly Jrnl. Oct. 455/2 Some persons are worst off when too well known—others when not known sufficiently. 1948 Times 8 Mar. 5 The improvement which has been made in the lot of those who were worst off then [sc. before the war]. 1991 S. Faludi Backlash ii. iv. 93 Good Housekeeping was worst off; its advertising pages had shrunk more than 13 percent in the year before the magazine launched the New Traditionalist campaign. 2011 A. I. Dale & S. Kotz A. L. Bowley v. 185 The class that had been worst off before the war was now receiving relief. B. adj. In attributive use. Usually with hyphen. Least favourably placed or advantaged; esp. least wealthy or well-to-do; poorest.Opposed to best off adj. Π 1856 Parl. Deb. 3rd Ser. 141 1449 As regarded promotion they [sc. the Engineers] were the ‘worst off’ corps in the service. 1895 D. B. W. Sladen On Cars & Off xxvi. 389 The clerk..is, as usual, the worst-off person in the community. 1908 Sunday School Jrnl. Feb. 139/1 Christ usually looks for the worst-off unfortunates. 1989 S. M. DeLue Polit. Obligation in Liberal State 111 Overall there will be a worst off position, wherein people at the bottom of the society have the least amount of income and wealth. 2007 Daily Record (Glasgow) (Nexis) 14 Aug. 1 The charity will launch a campaign this autumn to try to help Britain's worst-off kids. C. n. With the and plural agreement. Those who are in the least favourable or advantageous position; esp. people who are worst off financially, considered as a class. Π 1881 Baptist Missionary Mag. 61 4/1 The principle of his life was to go to the worst off, to those who are the most hungry. 1918 F. G. Peabody Educ. for Life xii. 309 The distance separating the better off from the ‘worst off’ must be reduced, not by depressing the better off, but by lifting the ‘worst off’. 1998 Housing Agenda Apr. 14/2 The concentration of the worst off on social housing estates can aggravate the vicious circle of poverty and disconnection. 2015 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 17 Dec. 15 The council-tax freeze offers the smallest savings to the worst off while cuts hit them hardest. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2017; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < adv.adj.n.1781
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