worthy

Etymology 1

From Middle English worthy, wurthi, from Old English *weorþiġ (“"worthy"”), equivalent to worth + -y. Cognate with Dutch waardig (“worthy”), Middle Low German werdig (“worthy”), German würdig (“worthy”), Swedish värdig (“worthy”), Icelandic verðugt (“worthy”).

adj

1. Having worth, merit, or value.
   This worthy mind should worthy things embrace. c. 1626, John Davies, The Original, Nature, and Immortality of the Soul
2. Admirable or honourable.
3. Deserving, or having sufficient worth.
4. Suited; suitable; befitting.
   The station is clearly well looked after, making it a worthy gateway to the resort. January 12 2022, Paul Bigland, “Fab Four: the nation's finest stations”, in RAIL, number 948, page 27

noun

1. A distinguished or eminent person.
   That worthy one day, in our absence, being caught in the act of culpable talpicide, was rebuked by his mistress for disobeying his master's orders. 1867, Journal of Agriculture, page 108

Etymology 2

From Middle English worthien, wurthien, from Old English weorþian (“to esteem, honor, worship, distinguish, celebrate, exalt, praise, adorn, deck, enrich, reward”), from Proto-Germanic *werþōną (“to be worthy, estimate, appreciate, appraise”), from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with German werten (“to rate, judge, grade, score”), Swedish värdera (“to evaluate, rate, size up, assess, estimate”), Icelandic virða (“to respect, esteem”).

verb

1. (transitive) To render or treat as worthy; exalt; revere; honour; esteem; respect; value; reward; adore.
   After having duly paid his addresses to it, he generally spends some time on the marble slab in front of the looking-glass, but without showing the slightest emotion at the sight of his own reflection, or worthying it with a song. 1880, Sir Norman Lockyer, Nature
   And it is a poor daub besides," the Emperor rejoined scornfully, as he stalked out of the gallery without worthying the artist with a look. 1908, Edward Arthur Brayley Hodgetts, The court of Russia in the nineteenth century
   No henchman he worthied by weapons, if witness his features, his peerless presence! 1910, Charles William Eliot, The Harvard classics: Beowulf