worst comes to worst

• the worst comes to the worst (especially UK English), worse comes to worst, bad comes to worst, bad comes to worse, considered incorrect by some: worse comes to worse

Originally in the form "if the worst come to the worst" with the subjunctive "if it come to" in the sense of "if the worst possible outcome should become the worst possible reality". Often used even today with the same two definite articles, and this is the only form recorded for British English in some dictionaries.

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worst comes to worst (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) If a possible worst-case scenario actually occurs.
   • 2010, Cherie Priest, Dreadnought: A Novel of the Clockwork Century:

     “Worst comes to worst, we'll make it to Cleveland and we can set down there and wait things out.” Gordon Rand nearly sneered, “Worst comes to worst? We'll crash and die, isn't that closer to the worst end of the possibility spectrum?

   • 2014, Eric Drouant, Fatal:

     You aren't doing anything anyway. Worst comes to worst you can give her some money and send her on her way.

   • 2015, James Abel, White Plague:

     Worst comes to worst ...” Eddie finished it. “Worst comes to worst, we try Dr. One's patented homemade miracle vaccine. Stops hair loss. Stops gout. Builds muscles. Kills flus.”

   • 2018, Clare London, With A Kick Collection 2:

     Worst comes to worst, Curtis says I can use his room.

   • 2017, Crista Crown, Harper B. Cole, The Outcast Chronicles Bundle:

     You said a couple of them are predators? Well, worst comes to worst, they can shift and eat.

The expression is sometimes used in the simple past or past perfect or the conditional or past conditional and is often preceded by one of these or another term: if, when, had, let, lest, etc.

• push comes to shove