worst case scenario
Everything goes wrong
The worst case scenario is the most unfavorable outcome imaginable in a given situation—what happens if everything goes wrong.
Planning often involves considering worst case scenarios to prepare for disaster: Worst case scenario, we lose the house.
The phrase sometimes appears hyphenated when used as a modifier: worst-case-scenario planning.
- off-chanceRemote, unlikely possibility
- disasterSudden ruinous event
- fearEmotional response to threat
- catastropheDevastating, large-scale misfortune
- nuclear optionMost drastic available action
catch-22 · panic · prediction · emergency · damage control · contingency · fatalism · ruin · calamity · point of no return · total loss · what-if · failure · outcome · crisis · alarm · overthinking · vulnerability
- fearmongeringscaremongering, fearmongering, scare tactics, fear tactics, alarmism
- risk analysisrisk assessment, risk management, risk mitigation, risk analysis, risk factors
worst case scenariobest case scenario
Most favorable potential result
dream scenario · positive outlook · happy ending · silver lining · success story
worst case scenariobase case
Recursion's stopping condition
typical case · reasonable expectation · status quo · middle ground