"worst-case scenario" meaning in English

See worst-case scenario in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

Head templates: {{head|en|adverb}} worst-case scenario
  1. (informal) At worst, worst comes to worst, in the worst-case scenario. Tags: informal Synonyms: worst case scenario Translations (Translations): pahimmassa tapauksessa (Finnish), au pire (French), dans le pire des cas (French), schlimmstenfalls (German), im schlimmsten Fall (German), í versta falli (Icelandic), i verste fall (Norwegian), w najgorszym przypadku (Polish), en el peor de los casos (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-worst-case_scenario-en-adv-t9IyW285 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 81 19

Noun

Forms: worst-case scenarios [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} worst-case scenario (plural worst-case scenarios)
  1. Any situation or conclusion which could not be any worse; the worst possible outcome. Translations (Situation which could not be any worse): pitjor dels casos [masculine] (Catalan), pahin tapaus (Finnish), kauhuskenaario (Finnish), pis-aller [masculine] (French), scénario catastrophe [masculine] (French), Worst-Case-Szenario [neuter] (German), an cás is measa [masculine] (Irish), 予想される最悪の筋書き (yosō sareru saiaku no sujigaki) (Japanese), najgorszy przypadek [masculine] (Polish), cel mai rău caz [neuter] (Romanian)
    Sense id: en-worst-case_scenario-en-noun-HK7lsu2j

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for worst-case scenario meaning in English (4.2kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "worst-case scenarios",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "worst-case scenario (plural worst-case scenarios)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "best-case scenario"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2020 March 25, “Network News: What COVID-19 means for rail in a wider transport context”, in Rail, page 10",
          "text": "Everyone is rightly planning for the worst-case scenario. Across Europe, that worst-case scenario is already playing out.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 March 6, Alexis Jones, Megan Schaltegger, “These Tinder Conversation Starters Actually Work, According To Dating Experts”, in Women's Health",
          "text": "Here’s the worst case scenario: You’ve just wasted your time on a few meaningless Tinder messages and not an actual date—or heaven forbid, a full-blown relationship.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any situation or conclusion which could not be any worse; the worst possible outcome."
      ],
      "id": "en-worst-case_scenario-en-noun-HK7lsu2j",
      "links": [
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ],
        [
          "conclusion",
          "conclusion"
        ],
        [
          "worse",
          "worse"
        ],
        [
          "outcome",
          "outcome"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pitjor dels casos"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "word": "pahin tapaus"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "word": "kauhuskenaario"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pis-aller"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "scénario catastrophe"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Worst-Case-Szenario"
        },
        {
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "an cás is measa"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "yosō sareru saiaku no sujigaki",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "word": "予想される最悪の筋書き"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "najgorszy przypadek"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "cel mai rău caz"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "worst-case scenario"
}

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "adverb"
      },
      "expansion": "worst-case scenario",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "at best"
        },
        {
          "word": "best-case scenario"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "At worst, worst comes to worst, in the worst-case scenario."
      ],
      "id": "en-worst-case_scenario-en-adv-t9IyW285",
      "links": [
        [
          "At worst",
          "at worst"
        ],
        [
          "worst comes to worst",
          "worst comes to worst"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) At worst, worst comes to worst, in the worst-case scenario."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "23 77",
          "word": "worst case scenario"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "pahimmassa tapauksessa"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "au pire"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "dans le pire des cas"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "schlimmstenfalls"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "im schlimmsten Fall"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "í versta falli"
        },
        {
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "i verste fall"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "w najgorszym przypadku"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "en el peor de los casos"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "worst-case scenario"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "worst-case scenarios",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "worst-case scenario (plural worst-case scenarios)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "best-case scenario"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2020 March 25, “Network News: What COVID-19 means for rail in a wider transport context”, in Rail, page 10",
          "text": "Everyone is rightly planning for the worst-case scenario. Across Europe, that worst-case scenario is already playing out.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 March 6, Alexis Jones, Megan Schaltegger, “These Tinder Conversation Starters Actually Work, According To Dating Experts”, in Women's Health",
          "text": "Here’s the worst case scenario: You’ve just wasted your time on a few meaningless Tinder messages and not an actual date—or heaven forbid, a full-blown relationship.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any situation or conclusion which could not be any worse; the worst possible outcome."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ],
        [
          "conclusion",
          "conclusion"
        ],
        [
          "worse",
          "worse"
        ],
        [
          "outcome",
          "outcome"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "worst case scenario"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pitjor dels casos"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "word": "pahin tapaus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "word": "kauhuskenaario"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pis-aller"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "scénario catastrophe"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Worst-Case-Szenario"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "an cás is measa"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "yosō sareru saiaku no sujigaki",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "word": "予想される最悪の筋書き"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "najgorszy przypadek"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "Situation which could not be any worse",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "cel mai rău caz"
    }
  ],
  "word": "worst-case scenario"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adverbs",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "adverb"
      },
      "expansion": "worst-case scenario",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "at best"
        },
        {
          "word": "best-case scenario"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "At worst, worst comes to worst, in the worst-case scenario."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "At worst",
          "at worst"
        ],
        [
          "worst comes to worst",
          "worst comes to worst"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) At worst, worst comes to worst, in the worst-case scenario."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "worst case scenario"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "pahimmassa tapauksessa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "au pire"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "dans le pire des cas"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "schlimmstenfalls"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "im schlimmsten Fall"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "í versta falli"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "i verste fall"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "w najgorszym przypadku"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "en el peor de los casos"
    }
  ],
  "word": "worst-case scenario"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.