Meanings
plural worst-case scenarios
- Any situation or conclusion which could not be any worse; the worst possible outcome.
Everyone is rightly planning for the worst-case scenario. Across Europe, that worst-case scenario is already playing out.
2020 March 25, “Network News: What COVID-19 means for rail in a wider transport context”, in Rail, page 101 more example
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.
2023 March 6, Alexis Jones, Megan Schaltegger, “These Tinder Conversation Starters Actually Work, According To Dating Experts”, in Women's HealthAntonyms: best-case scenario
- informalAt worst, worst comes to worst, in the worst-case scenario.
I'll get the ends of my hair dyed. Worst-case scenario, I can cut them off.
Antonyms: at best, best-case scenario
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny situation or conclusion which could not be any worse; the worst possible outcome.
adverbAt worst, worst comes to worst, in the worst-case scenario.
Translations
Catalan pitjor dels casos
- pitjor dels casosSituation which could not be any worse
Chinese Mandarin 最壞的情況 /最坏的情况
- 最壞的情況 /最坏的情况 (zuìhuài de qíngkuàng)Situation which could not be any worse
Dutch doemscenario, worstcasescenario
- doemscenarioSituation which could not be any worse
- worstcasescenarioSituation which could not be any worse
- in het ergste gevalat worst
- in het slechtste gevalat worst
Finnish pahin tapaus, pahin mahdollinen tapaus
- pahin tapausSituation which could not be any worse
- pahin mahdollinen tapausSituation which could not be any worse
- kauhuskenaarioSituation which could not be any worse
- pahimmassa tapauksessaat worst
French pis-aller, scénario catastrophe
- pis-allerSituation which could not be any worse
- scénario catastropheSituation which could not be any worse
- au pireat worst
- dans le pire des casat worst
German Worst-Case-Szenario, schlimmstenfalls
- Worst-Case-SzenarioSituation which could not be any worse
- schlimmstenfallsat worst
- im schlimmsten Fallat worst
Icelandic í versta falli
- í versta falliat worst
Irish an cás is measa
- an cás is measaSituation which could not be any worse
Japanese 最悪のシナリオ, 予想される最悪の筋書き
- 最悪のシナリオ (saiaku no shinario)Situation which could not be any worse
- 予想される最悪の筋書き (yosō sareru saiaku no sujigaki)Situation which could not be any worse
Korean 최악의 시나리오
- 최악의 시나리오 (choeag-ui sinario)Situation which could not be any worse
Norwegian verstefallscenario, i verste fall
- verstefallscenarioSituation which could not be any worse
- i verste fallat worst
Polish najgorszy przypadek, w najgorszym przypadku
- najgorszy przypadekSituation which could not be any worse
- w najgorszym przypadkuat worst
Portuguese pior dos casos, pior das hipóteses
- pior dos casosSituation which could not be any worse
- pior das hipótesesSituation which could not be any worse
Romanian cel mai rău caz
- cel mai rău cazSituation which could not be any worse
Spanish el peor de los casos, el peor caso
- el peor de los casosSituation which could not be any worse
- el peor casoSituation which could not be any worse
- en el peor de los casosat worst
- en el peor casoat worst
Cite this entry
worst-case scenario. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/worst-case%20scenario
“worst-case scenario.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/worst-case%20scenario. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “worst-case scenario,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/worst-case%20scenario.
Source: worst-case scenario on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.