Even though it might seem logical, saying "to need something worst" isn't very often used in English.
A reader asks which of the following sentences is correct:
a) This is the area that needs the relationship worst. b) This is the area that needs the relationship most.
Editor Paul Wood responds:
The fact is that the phrase "to want/need something (the) worst" is extremely uncommon in English. Both bad and worse are sometimes used in such situations, but this usage is usually found in informal contexts, such as quoted speech or from sports journalism: "He needs a haircut real bad." "My hometeam needs the win worse."
It is far more common to find more and most used in such phrases, particularly in written English: "I gave her the money because she needed it more." "We'll donate the car to the family that needs it most."
The superlative worst is rarely used in these kinds of phrases.
The idiom most needed is often heard in English: "The supplies are most needed in coastal regions." = "The coastal regions need the supplies the most."
