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Glite Dictionary
worth it

worth it

429 3.5
Good enough so the time, effort, or money you spent was not wasted
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : valer la pena
  • Completing the marathon was tough, but crossing the finish line made it all worth it.
  • well worth it
  • really worth it
  • the effort was worth it

And it's just so not worth it because why?

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Examples

  • Was that price worth it to move this country forward?

    Tom Bilyeu

  • But, in this case, the ride was clearly worth it because of the results they produced.

    Academic text (2006)

  • But it's so worth it, I promise you.

  • If the risk is worth it, take the risk.

    The Financial Diet

  • It's all worth it for this feeling right now.

  • This is totally worth it, man.

  • I hope it was worth it for you guys.

    Stephan Speaks

  • If it ended tomorrow, it would be worth it.

    Spartacus (1960)

  • So yeah, so I feel like it was worth it and I'm just excited.

    Molly Burke

  • I promise you it'll be worth it.

    Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)

Synonyms

worthwhile
vsworth it
184 3.5

An activity that is good to do because it gives useful or important results

is broader, covering benefits from time effort or money
worth every penny
vsworth it
  • Informal
13 3.4

Gives good value for the money spent

extends to time and effort too not only money
worth every step
vsworth it
  • Informal
1 6.6

So valuable that you feel the effort was not wasted

allows general justification without stressing every single effort
worth the watch
vsworth it
  • Informal
3.2

Good enough that you should see it

applies more widely covering effort and money as well as time

Antonyms

unjustified
19 4.8

Not having a good reason for something

How Worthwhile

rewarding
101 3.5
worth it
  • Informal
429 3.5
worthwhile
184 3.5
worth a shot
  • Informal
12 4.8

Surface Forms

worth it positive

Morphology

worth + it

The meaning is directly derived from 'worth' (having sufficient value) applied to a referent 'it' — together they mean that something justifies the time/effort/money spent. This composition (worth + pronoun/NP) follows a common, transparent pattern in English and many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Worth it comes from the simple idea of value: imagine a scale or a price showing if something's worth more than the cost or effort. That's why saying 'worth it' means the result makes the time, effort, or money feel 'deserving'.