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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Nov. 01, 2019 USD ($)	May 23, 2018 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Feb. 29, 2020 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($)	May 31, 2020 USD ($) JointVenture Facility Segment Customer	May 31, 2019 USD ($)	May 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of joint ventures \| JointVenture						9
Purchase of noncontrolling interest and its carrying value								$ (1,913,000)
Impairment of long-lived assets				$ 4,679,000
Derivative financial instruments, credit losses						$ 0
Number of manufacturing facilities operated \| Facility						26
Number of reportable segments \| Segment						2
Allowance for doubtful accounts increase (decrease)						$ (371,000)
Receivables, allowances						1,521,000	$ 1,150,000
Depreciation Expenses						79,368,000	80,316,000	83,680,000
Advertising Expenses						$ 17,603,000	$ 15,574,000	$ 15,236,000
Maximum
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Period allowed for payment of dues to customers						60 days
Maximum \| Building and Building Improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful life						40 years
Maximum \| Machinery and Equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful life						20 years
Minimum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Period allowed for payment of dues to customers						30 days
Minimum [Member] \| Building and Building Improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful life						10 years
Minimum [Member] \| Machinery and Equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, estimated useful life						3 years
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						32.00%	38.00%	37.00%
Sales Revenue, Net \| Foreign Operations
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage						7.00%	5.00%	9.00%
Sales Revenue, Net \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Largest Customer \| Maximum
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage						10.00%
Sales Revenue, Net \| Customer Concentration Risk \| Ten Largest Customers
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage						30.00%
Net Earnings \| Foreign Operations
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage						2.00%	6.00%	6.00%
Net Assets, Geographic Area \| Foreign Operations
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage						13.00%	13.00%
Workforce Subject to Collective Bargaining Arrangements \| Labor Force Concentration Risk [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage						9.00%
Engineered Cabs
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Impairment of long-lived assets					$ 35,194,000
Cabs Joint Venture
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percent of ownership interest held in unconsolidated affiliates	20.00%					20.00%
Net gain on deconsolidation	$ 258,000		$ 50,000
Additional Paid-in Capital
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Purchase of noncontrolling interest and its carrying value								$ 924,000
Joint Venture Transactions
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of joint ventures \| JointVenture						4
Number of manufacturing facilities operated \| Facility						48
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%
Samuel \| Joint Venture Transactions
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percent of controlling interest by the Company						63.00%
Worthington Specialty Processing \| Joint Venture Transactions
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percent of controlling interest by the Company						51.00%
Worthington Aritas \| Additional Paid-in Capital
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Purchase of noncontrolling interest and its carrying value		$ 924,000
Samuel Joint Venture \| Miscellaneous Income
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Gain in pre-tax earnings				$ 6,055,000
Samuel Joint Venture \| Joint Venture Transactions
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percent of controlling interest by the Company									31.25%
Additional ownership interest acquired in joint venture									31.75%
Percent of ownership interest held in unconsolidated affiliates						63.00%