Useful or important enough to justify the time, effort, cost, or risk involved.
Reach for it when making a positive tradeoff judgment while naming what creates the value
The slow repair was worthwhile because it preserved the original frame.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional |
|
| formal |
everyday
Fits when practical benefit is enough
Careful Useful is narrower and does not weigh benefit against the effort required.
everyday
worth the effort
Fits when plain evaluative language is best
Careful The phrase addresses effort but not cost, time, or risk more broadly.
warm
Fits when purpose or personal significance justifies the work
Careful Meaningful activity can still be impractical or harmful.
warm
Fits when satisfaction, growth, or benefit follows the effort
Careful Rewarding centers the participant's experience and may ignore broader costs.
professional
Fits when a positive measurable effect is central
Careful A beneficial result can be too small to make an expensive effort worthwhile.
professional
Fits when useful output or progress is the return
Careful Productivity is not the only value and can overlook rest, care, or learning.
professional
Fits when importance or usefulness should be praised broadly
Careful Something valuable may still not justify this particular cost or effort.
formal
Fits when reasons adequately support the expenditure or action
Careful Justified is more analytical and carries none of worthwhile's positive experience.
worthwhile effort
The survey was a worthwhile effort because it changed the final route.
worthwhile investment
Staff training proved a worthwhile investment within one winter.
make it worthwhile
Accessible hours can make it worthwhile for rural families to attend.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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