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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	May 23, 2018 USD ($)	May 31, 2018 USD ($)	May 31, 2019 USD ($) JointVenture Facility Segment Customer	May 31, 2018 USD ($)	May 31, 2017 USD ($)
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of joint ventures \| JointVenture			9
Derivative financial instruments, credit losses			$ 0
Number of manufacturing facilities operated \| Facility			31
Number of reportable segments \| Segment			3
Allowance for doubtful accounts increase (decrease)			$ (518,000)
Receivables, allowances		$ 632,000	1,150,000	$ 632,000
Depreciation Expenses			80,316,000	83,680,000	$ 73,268,000
Advertising Expenses			$ 15,574,000	15,236,000	$ 14,822,000
Reclassification of stranded tax effects		$ 1,701,000		$ (1,701,000)
Building and Improvements \| Minimum
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful life			10 years
Building and Improvements \| Maximum
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful life			40 years
Machinery and Equipment \| Minimum
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful life			3 years
Machinery and Equipment \| Maximum
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful life			20 years
Oil & gas equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated fair value of reporting unit, percentage			13.00%
Largest Customer
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of customers \| Customer			10
Sales Revenue, Net \| Product Concentration Risk
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			38.00%	37.00%	43.00%
Sales Revenue, Net \| Foreign Operations
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			5.00%	9.00%	7.00%
Sales Revenue, Net \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Largest Customer
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			9.00%
Sales Revenue, Net \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Ten Largest Customers
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			31.00%
Net Earnings \| Foreign Operations
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			6.00%	6.00%	4.00%
Net Assets, Geographic Area \| Foreign Operations
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			13.00%	14.00%
Workforce Subject to Collective Bargaining Arrangements \| Labor Force Concentration Risk [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage			8.00%
Joint Venture Transactions
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of joint ventures \| JointVenture			3
Number of manufacturing facilities operated \| Facility			46
Spartan \| Joint Venture Transactions
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percent of controlling interest by the Company			52.00%
TWB \| Joint Venture Transactions
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percent of controlling interest by the Company			55.00%
Worthington Specialty Processing \| Joint Venture Transactions
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percent of controlling interest by the Company			51.00%
Worthington Aritas
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Purchase of noncontrolling interest and its carrying value				$ (1,913,000)
Worthington Aritas \| Additional Paid-in Capital
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Purchase of noncontrolling interest and its carrying value	$ 924,000			$ 924,000