do one's worst

English

Verb

do one's worst (third-person singular simple present does one's worst, present participle doing one's worst, simple past did one's worst, past participle done one's worst)

1. inflict the worst possible damage one can
   • 2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

     “Thumbs!” ordered Mr Big. “Do your worst with the boy!” Frank looked on in terror as the man bent back his humongous Thumbs, ready to cause damage. The henchman pressed them hard into the boy’s ears. Frank felt like his brain was going to burst. “ARGH!” he screamed.

See also

• do one's best

Further reading

• “do one's worst”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “do your worst”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “do your his her their worst” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “do your worst” (US) / “do your worst” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.