Summary of Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, beginning balance		$ 405,526	$ 372,687
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance		(166,527)	(121,594)
Goodwill net, beginning balance		238,999	251,093
Acquisitions and purchase accounting adjustments		7,171	48,008
Divestitures			(1,891)
Translation adjustments		(103)	(13,278)
Impairment losses			(44,933)
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)		7,068	(12,094)
Goodwill, ending balance		412,594	405,526
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance		(166,527)	(166,527)
Goodwill net, ending balance		246,067	238,999
Steel Processing
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, beginning balance		6,587
Goodwill net, beginning balance		6,587
Acquisitions and purchase accounting adjustments		458	6,587
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)		458	6,587
Goodwill, ending balance		7,045	6,587
Goodwill net, ending balance		7,045	6,587
Pressure Cylinders
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, beginning balance		226,761	200,509
Goodwill net, beginning balance		226,761	200,509
Acquisitions and purchase accounting adjustments		6,713	41,421
Divestitures			(1,891)
Translation adjustments		(103)	(13,278)
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)		6,610	26,252
Goodwill, ending balance		233,371	226,761
Goodwill net, ending balance		233,371	226,761
Engineered Cabs
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, beginning balance		44,933	44,933
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance		(44,933)
Goodwill net, beginning balance			44,933
Impairment losses	$ (44,933)		(44,933)
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)			(44,933)
Goodwill, ending balance		44,933	44,933
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance		(44,933)	(44,933)
Goodwill net, ending balance	$ 0
Other
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, beginning balance		127,245	127,245
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance		(121,594)	(121,594)
Goodwill net, beginning balance		5,651	5,651
Goodwill, ending balance		127,245	127,245
Accumulated impairment losses, ending balance		(121,594)	(121,594)
Goodwill net, ending balance		$ 5,651	$ 5,651

Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13770-109266

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Goodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of increase in asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized resulting from a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a,h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of accumulated impairment loss for an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a,h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of loss from the write-down of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13854-109267

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13777-109266

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillPeriodIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) from foreign currency translation adjustments of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillTranslationAdjustments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of divestiture of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=wor_SteelProcessingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=wor_PressureCylindersMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=wor_EngineeredCabsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=us-gaap_AllOtherSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: