an worst

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an worst" is not correct in written English.
It should be "the worst" instead, as "worst" begins with a consonant sound. Example: "This is the worst movie I've ever seen."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Surelly there's got to be an worst ratio between caps and goals among other international forwards in the sports history, right?" "David Meyler was the Republic of Ireland's captain last week in their 4-1 friendly win over the USA in Dublin," notes Jamie Ralph.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

As an example, a worst case scenario of production process failure has been considered.

BioMed Research International

That's sort of an upper bound, a worst case.

Yale University

Because a worst date shared, is a worst date worth having.

BBC

For a network ofnsites the pebble game has a worst case performance ofO(n2).

Journal of Computational Physics

"A Worst Practices Guide to Insider Threats". Insider Threats.

Harvard University

It has a worst case retention time of 175 μs.

Solid-State Electronics

But that's a worst case, Miyagi said.

The Washington Post

It's hard to pick a worst day.

The Guardian

It couldn't have happened at a worst time.

The Guardian - Opinion

Their assumptions will be guided on a "worst case" basis.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the definite article "the" before superlative adjectives like "worst". For example, say "the worst case scenario" instead of "an worst case scenario".

Common error

Avoid using the indefinite articles "a" or "an" before superlative adjectives. Superlatives indicate the highest degree of something and require the definite article "the".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an worst" functions as an incorrect attempt to use a determiner before a superlative adjective. Ludwig AI confirms that this construction violates standard English grammar. The correct form is "the worst".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

20%

Science

20%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

15%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an worst" is a grammatically incorrect construction. The correct way to express the superlative of something negative is to use "the worst". As Ludwig AI points out, the indefinite article "an" is inappropriate before "worst", which begins with a consonant sound and requires the definite article "the" when used as a superlative. While the phrase appears across various source types, its incorrectness makes it unsuitable for formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the worst

Corrects the grammatical error by using the definite article "the" before the superlative adjective "worst".

the most terrible

Replaces "worst" with a synonymous phrase using "most" to form the superlative.

the most awful

Replaces "worst" with a synonym.

the all-time low

Idiomatic expression to refer at something that is at its lowest possible point.

the least desirable

Offers a more formal alternative, focusing on undesirability rather than negativity.

the most unfavorable

Offers a formal alternative, focusing on lack of favor.

the absolute pits

Provides an informal, idiomatic expression for "the worst".

the lowest point

Uses a metaphorical expression to indicate the worst state or condition.

the unhappiest

Emphasizes the negative emotional aspect instead of the general negativity.

the nadir

Employs a more sophisticated and technical term for the lowest point.

FAQs

Why is it incorrect to say "an worst"?

The word "worst" begins with a consonant sound. The rule is to use "a" before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds. Therefore, the correct article to use before "worst" is "a", but in this case the phrase requires the definite article: "the "worst"".

What is the correct way to use "worst" in a sentence?

Use "the" before "worst" to indicate the superlative degree. For example, "This is the worst movie ever". You might also consider phrases like "most terrible" or "least desirable" depending on the context.

Are there any situations where "a worst" is grammatically correct?

While "a worst" is grammatically incorrect on its own, you might encounter constructions where "a" modifies a noun phrase that includes "worst", such as "a worst-case scenario". However, "the worst-case scenario" is more common and often preferred.

What alternatives can I use instead of "an worst" to express a negative superlative?

Consider using phrases like "the most awful", "the most unfavorable", or idiomatic expressions like "the absolute pits" to convey a similar meaning.