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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Worthy \Wor"thy\, adjective [Compar. {Worthier}; superl. {Worthiest.}] [OE. worthi, wur[thorn]i, from worth, wur[thorn], noun; cf. Icel. ver[eth]ugr, D. waardig, G. w["u]rdig, OHG. wird[=i]g. See {Worth}, noun]
1. Having worth or excellence; possessing merit; valuable; deserving; estimable; excellent; virtuous.
Full worthy was he in his lordes war. --Chaucer.
These banished men that I have kept withal Are men endued with worthy qualities. --Shak.
Happier thou mayst be, worthier canst not be. --Milton.
This worthy mind should worthy things embrace. --Sir J. Davies.
2. Having suitable, adapted, or equivalent qualities or value; -- usually with of before the thing compared or the object; more rarely, with a following infinitive instead of of, or with that; as, worthy of, equal in excellence, value, or dignity to; entitled to; meriting; -- usually in a good sense, but sometimes in a bad one.
No, Warwick, thou art worthy of the sway. --Shak.
The merciless Macdonwald, Worthy to be a rebel. --Shak.
Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. --Matt. iii. 11.
And thou art worthy that thou shouldst not know More happiness. --Milton.
The lodging is well worthy of the guest. --Dryden.
3. Of high station; of high social position. [Obs.]
Worthy women of the town. --Chaucer.
{Worthiest of blood} (Eng. Law of Descent), most worthy of those of the same blood to succeed or inherit; -- applied to males, and expressive of the preference given them over females. --Burrill.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
worthy
adjective
1: having worth or merit or value; being honorable or admirable; "a worthy fellow"; "no student deemed worthy, and chosen for admission, would be kept out for lack of funds"- Nathan Pusey; "worthy of acclaim"; "orthy of consideration"; "a worthy cause" [ant: {unworthy}]
2: worthy of being chosen especially as a spouse; "the parents found the girl suitable for their son" [syn: {desirable}, {suitable}]
3: meriting respect or esteem; "the worthy gentleman"
4: having high moral qualities; "a noble spirit"; "a solid citizen"; "an upstanding man"; "a worthy successor" [syn: {noble}, {solid}, {upstanding}]
5: morally admirable; "a worthy citizen"
noun: word is often used humorously [also: {worthiest}, {worthier}]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
worthiest See {worthy}
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