Is the word worse in the dictionary

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adjective, comparative of bad and ill, withworst as superlative.

bad or ill in a greater or higher degree; inferior in excellence, quality, or character.

more unfavorable or injurious.

in less good condition; in poorer health.

noun

adverb

in a more evil, wicked, severe, or disadvantageous manner.

with more severity, intensity, etc.; in a greater degree.

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Origin of worse

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective, adverb, and noun); Old English wiersa (comparative adjective), wiers (adverb); cognate with Old Norse verri, Gothic wairsiza; see war2

Words nearby worse

worrit, worry, worry beads, worryguts, worrywart, worse, worse for wear, worsen, worser, worset, worship

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to worse

How to use worse in a sentence

  • I would say that changing Section 230 would actually make those problems even worse, because you’re going to start to provide incentives for platforms to moderate less.

  • Though we seemed to crest this wave a few weeks ago, epidemiologists are concerned that the upcoming holiday season and the travel and small gatherings that accompany it, could make the surge even worse.

  • The pandemic has ravaged the local economy and could make the situation even worse.

  • If it spreads here, it will make an already-bad situation even worse.

  • Meanwhile, climate change is making existing deficiencies worse.

  • A Republican candidate hoping to win red state support could find a worse team to root for than one from Dallas.

  • Among whites, the situation is also bad — in some ways, even worse.

  • The headaches, fevers (and worse) you may experience on Thursday are nothing new.

  • Or is it simply that what you are hearing and seeing about race in the media seems worse?

  • Worse still is how much of this is being made into performance.

  • Conditions in the new country had gone from bad to worse, and if the season should experience another drought, the worst was come.

  • He saw that the situation was worse than even he had bargained for, and all his irresolution began to return upon him.

  • Hence, shortage of ammunition and shortage of water, which last was the worse felt to-day.

  • “Alas, mon bon Monsieur, it goes from bad to worse,” sighed the old man.

  • Lyn was looking at me intently, and her voice was steady; that squeezed kind of steadiness that is almost worse than tears.

British Dictionary definitions for worse


adjective

the comparative of bad 1

none the worse for not harmed by (adverse events or circumstances)

the worse for wear

  1. shabby or worn
  2. a slang term for drunk

worse luck! informal unhappily; unfortunately

worse off (postpositive) in a worse, esp a worse financial, condition

noun

something that is worse

for the worse into a less desirable or inferior state or conditiona change for the worse

go from bad to worse to deteriorate even more

adverb

in a more severe or unpleasant manner

in a less effective or successful manner

Word Origin for worse

Old English wiersa; related to Old Frisian werra, Old High German wirsiro, Old Norse verri, Gothic wairsiza

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with worse


In addition to the idiom beginning with worse

  • worse for wear

also see:

  • all the (worse)
  • bark is worse than one’s bite
  • fate worse than death
  • for better or for worse
  • from bad to worse
  • if worst comes to worst
  • none the worse
  • take a turn for the better (worse)

Also see underworst.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD WORSE

Old English wiersa; related to Old Frisian werra, Old High German wirsiro, Old Norse verri, Gothic wairsiza.

info

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

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PRONUNCIATION OF WORSE

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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF WORSE

Worse can act as a noun, an adjective and an adverb.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

The adverb is an invariable part of the sentence that can change, explain or simplify a verb or another adverb.

WHAT DOES WORSE MEAN IN ENGLISH?


Definition of worse in the English dictionary

The first definition of worse in the dictionary is something that is worse. Other definition of worse is in a more severe or unpleasant manner. Worse is also in a less effective or successful manner.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH WORSE

Synonyms and antonyms of worse in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS OF «WORSE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «worse» and belong to the same grammatical category.

Translation of «worse» into 25 languages

online translator

TRANSLATION OF WORSE

Find out the translation of worse to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of worse from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «worse» in English.

Translator English — Chinese


更坏的

1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English — Spanish


peor

570 millions of speakers

English


worse

510 millions of speakers

Translator English — Hindi


बदतर

380 millions of speakers

Translator English — Arabic


أَسْوَأ

280 millions of speakers

Translator English — Russian


худший

278 millions of speakers

Translator English — Portuguese


pior

270 millions of speakers

Translator English — Bengali


খারাপ

260 millions of speakers

Translator English — French


pire

220 millions of speakers

Translator English — Malay


Lebih teruk

190 millions of speakers

Translator English — German


schlechter

180 millions of speakers

Translator English — Japanese


一層悪い

130 millions of speakers

Translator English — Korean


더 나쁜

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Javanese


Luwih elek

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Vietnamese


xấu hơn

80 millions of speakers

Translator English — Tamil


மோசமாக

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Marathi


वाईट

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Turkish


daha da kötüsü

70 millions of speakers

Translator English — Italian


peggiore

65 millions of speakers

Translator English — Polish


gorszy

50 millions of speakers

Translator English — Ukrainian


гірший

40 millions of speakers

Translator English — Romanian


mai rău

30 millions of speakers

Translator English — Greek


χειρότερος

15 millions of speakers

Translator English — Afrikaans


erger

14 millions of speakers

Translator English — Swedish


värre

10 millions of speakers

Translator English — Norwegian


verre

5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of worse

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «WORSE»

The term «worse» is very widely used and occupies the 5.592 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Trends

FREQUENCY

Very widely used

The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «worse» in the different countries.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of worse

List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «worse».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «WORSE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «worse» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «worse» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about worse

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «WORSE»

Discover the use of worse in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to worse and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

1

It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American …

Through a new preface and afterword, Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein bring the story forward, examining the 2012 presidential campaign and exploring the prospects of a less dysfunctional government.

Thomas E. Mann, Norman J. Ornstein, 2013

2

50 Boyfriends Worse Than Yours

Funny, irresistible, and instantly relatable, 50 Boyfriends Worse Than Yours is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.

3

From Dead to Worse: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel

And with HBO’s launching of an all-new show, True Blood, based on the Southern Vampire novels, the demand for Charlaine Harris and Sookie Stackhouse is bigger than ever. Watch a QuickTime trailer for the HBO original series True Blood.

4

For Better, for Worse: British Marriages, 1600 to the Present

These are just a few of the fascinating, and often surprising, revelations in For Better, For Worse, the most comprehensive treatment to date of the history of marriage in a major Western society.

5

Worse Than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing …

Worse Than War gets to the heart of the phenomenon, genocide, that has caused more deaths in the modern world than military conflict.

Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, 2009

6

Gay Marriage: for Better Or for Worse?: What We’ve Learned …

Drawing from 16 years of data and experience with same-sex unions in Scandinavia, Gay Marriage: For Better or for Worse? is the first book to present empirical evidence about the results of same-sex marriage (in the form of registered …

William N. Eskridge, Darren R. Spedale, 2006

A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.

8

For Better Or for Worse: Divorce Reconsidered

Hetherington identifies the kinds of marriages that predispose a couple to divorce or not and also pinpoints «windows of change» that allow some to fashion the challenges of divorce into an opportunity for themselves and for their children.

E. Mavis Hetherington, John Kelly, 2003

«Unexcitable Gramps surprises everyone with a whopping tale of derring-do that proves there’s life in the old boy yet. Stevenson’s watercolors couldn’t be better.»—School Library Journal.

10

An Expensive Way to Make Bad People Worse: An Essay on …

Instead, «An Expensive Way to Make Bad People Worse offers a mainly monetary analysis of why it is absurd fiscal policy to lock people up so often and for so long.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «WORSE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term worse is used in the context of the following news items.

Emma Thompson: sexism in acting industry is worse than ever

Emma Thompson: ‘When I was younger I really did think we were on our way to a better world and when I look at it now, it is in a worse state than I have known it … «The Guardian, Jul 15»

Bill Clinton says he made mass incarceration issue worse

Bill Clinton says he made mass incarceration issue worse. By Dan Merica, CNN. Updated 5:25 PM ET, Wed July 15, 2015. The Clintons listen as House Minority … «CNN, Jul 15»

International Business|Is Greece Worse Off Than the US During the …

But it is Greece – and in some ways, the situation is worse. “Greece is in its own Great Depression. But unlike the United States, it won’t be able to get back on its … «New York Times, Jul 15»

John Cusack’s Comments On Obama Being ‘Worse Than Bush …

Don’t believe the headlines. In a wide-ranging interview with the Daily Beast to promote his new film «Love & Mercy,» John Cusack said that, in some ways, on … «Huffington Post, Jun 15»

Yakima Basin drought gets worse

The water supply forecast was worse than one month ago when the bureau forecast a 73 percent supply for junior rights. Senior water right holders are forecast … «Capital press, Apr 15»

Mark Cuban: This tech bubble is ‘far worse‘ than back in 2000

“If we thought it was stupid to invest in public Internet websites that had no chance of succeeding back then, it’s worse today,” he wrote in a blog post detailing … «MarketWatch, Mar 15»

Why this tech bubble is worse than the tech bubble of 2000 — Part 2

mark cuban Steve Jennings/Getty ImagesCuban says he should have been clearer on just how extensive the abuse and impact of this bubble is. This post is a … «Business Insider, Mar 15»

Families still worse off than when Tories came to power, study claims

It also says average households are still more than 2 per cent worse off than at the last election and calculates that working-age adults have fared worse than … «The Independent, Mar 15»

Stuck In Traffic? It’s Likely To Be Worse In 30 Years, Report Says

Moving from crisis to crisis — for too long that’s been America’s strategy for dealing with the challenges of an aging transit infrastructure, from roads to bridges to … «NPR, Feb 15»

Worried about stocks? Bonds look worse

Stocks are pricey. Historically, the price-to-earnings ratio for the S&P 500 is a tad over 15, according to Bespoke Investment Group. Today’s trailing P/E, a key … «CNNMoney, Jan 15»

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Worse [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/worse>. Apr 2023 ».

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Discover all that is hidden in the words on educalingo

Adjective



His schoolwork got worse after his parents split up.



Her second book was worse than her first one.



Her first book was bad, but her second one is even worse.



This one is no worse than that one.



Could the situation get any worse?



You have even worse luck than I do.



It turned out to be a worse idea than we originally thought.



She ended up in worse shape than when she started.



Things are bad for him now, but he was in a worse situation last week.



Cheer up. Things could be worse, you know.

Noun



I didn’t want to tell her that worse was yet to come.



Her accusations don’t bother me. I’ve been accused of worse.



When I lost my job, my life took a turn for the worse.

Adverb



I did much worse on my second try.



You drive worse than he does.



That isn’t an excellent score, but you could have done worse.



She was hurt worse than I was.

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Recent Examples on the Web



In the meantime, practicing some good nail care habits recommended by the National Psoriasis Foundation can help keep nail psoriasis from getting worse.


Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 13 Feb. 2023





Donovan looked to the four-point deficit with a sense of relief — things could be much, much worse.


Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2023





Data from the National Association of Realtors show the metropolitan Baltimore area’s housing crunch is only getting worse.


Giacomo Bologna, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2023





Five years after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled government persecution in Myanmar, rights activists say conditions at refugee camps in Bangladesh are getting worse.


Tanbirul Miraj Ripon, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2023





And new figures show that rather than improving, the problem has been getting worse.


Jon Marcus, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Jan. 2023





Law enforcement sources also believe Tran was having unspecified emotional problems that had been getting worse in the weeks before the shooting.


Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2023





While the future is looking better, right now things are still getting worse.


WIRED, 24 Jan. 2023





Essentially those factors compound the climate change factors which are also getting worse.


Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2023




What made the prejudice worse was that the entire institutional infrastructure of college basketball was in on it; coaches, athletic directors and alumni.


John Kass, chicagotribune.com, 27 Mar. 2018




If your hands are prone to swelling, trapping them in a material that retains heat will only make your swelling worse.


Sarah Bradley, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2023





James McCann, the Orioles’ new backup catcher, had minus-six blocks above average each of the past two years with the New York Mets; only seven of the 66 qualified catchers performed worse in 2022.


Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2023





And any hopes that being able to work from home and avoid a grueling Monday morning commute would help ease Sunday night anxiety have been dashed by the study, which found remote workers are worse-hit.


Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2023





Fire has made all of the downsides of a climate-sensitive dream town worse and has underscored the divide between people who can be mobile and flexible and those who don’t have that luxury.


Heather Hansman, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2021





The White House argues that canceling the debt will ensure that borrowers do not wind up worse off financially post-pandemic when federal student loan payments, which have been paused for almost three years, resume.


Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2023





So, for many people, dust mites can spark an allergic reaction and make symptoms of allergies and asthma worse.


Korin Miller, Health, 26 Jan. 2023





Twitter performed worse on that metric than any other social media platform tested, according to the report, but some of them including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok fell behind as well compared to the previous year.


David Ingram, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2022





Making the flooding even worse and adding to concerns, two dams broke in the northeastern cities of Jussiape and Itambe on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.


Natasha Dado, PEOPLE.com, 28 Dec. 2021



See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘worse.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

worse

 (wûrs)

adj.Comparative of bad1 ill

1. More inferior, as in quality, condition, or effect: This restaurant is worse than the one that used to be here.

2. More severe or unfavorable: The weather suddenly got worse.

3. Being further from a standard; less desirable or satisfactory.

4. Being in poorer health; more ill: I felt worse after eating that pizza.

n.

Something that is worse: Of the two routes, the eastern one is the worse. She was accused of cheating on exams, lying, and worse.

adv.Comparative of badly ill

In a worse manner; to a worse degree.

Idiom:

for better or (for) worse

Whether the situation or consequences be good or ill: For better or worse, he trusts everyone.


American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

worse

(wɜːs)

adj

1. the comparative of bad1

2. none the worse for not harmed by (adverse events or circumstances)

3. the worse for wear

a. shabby or worn

b. a slang term for drunk

4. worse luck! informal unhappily; unfortunately

5. worse off (postpositive) in a worse, esp a worse financial, condition

n

6. something that is worse

7. for the worse into a less desirable or inferior state or condition: a change for the worse.

8. go from bad to worse to deteriorate even more

adv

9. in a more severe or unpleasant manner

10. in a less effective or successful manner

[Old English wiersa; related to Old Frisian werra, Old High German wirsiro, Old Norse verri, Gothic wairsiza]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

worse

(wɜrs)

adj. comparative of bad and ill.

1. bad or ill in a greater or higher degree; inferior in excellence, quality, or character.

2. more unfavorable or injurious.

3. in less good condition; in poorer health.

n.

4. that which is worse.

adv.

5. in a more evil, wicked, severe, or disadvantageous manner.

6. with more severity, intensity, etc.; in a greater degree.

[before 900; Middle English; Old English wiersa (comp. adj.), wiers (adv.), c. Old High German wirsiro, Old Norse verri, Gothic wairsiza; compare war2]

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

worse

Worse is the comparative form of bad and the usual comparative form of badly.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun 1. worse — something inferior in quality or condition or effect; «for better or for worse»; «accused of cheating and lying and worse»

bad, badness — that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency; «take the bad with the good»

Adj. 1. worse — (comparative of `bad’) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability; «this road is worse than the first one we took»; «the road is in worse shape than it was»; «she was accused of worse things than cheating and lying»

comparative, comparative degree — the comparative form of an adjective or adverb; «`faster’ is the comparative of the adjective `fast'»; «`less famous’ is the comparative degree of the adjective `famous'»; «`more surely’ is the comparative of the adverb `surely'»

better — (comparative of `good’) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another; «You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din»; «a better coat»; «a better type of car»; «a suit with a better fit»; «a better chance of success»; «produced a better mousetrap»; «she’s better in math than in history»

2. worse - changed for the worse in health or fitnessworse — changed for the worse in health or fitness; «I feel worse today»; «her cold is worse»

worsened

better — (comparative of `good’) changed for the better in health or fitness; «her health is better now»; «I feel better»

Adv. 1. worse — (comparative of `ill’) in a less effective or successful or desirable manner; «he did worse on the second exam»

comparative, comparative degree — the comparative form of an adjective or adverb; «`faster’ is the comparative of the adjective `fast'»; «`less famous’ is the comparative degree of the adjective `famous'»; «`more surely’ is the comparative of the adverb `surely'»

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

أتْعَبأَسْوَأأسْوأالأسْوأبصورةٍ أسْوأ

horšíhůř

værreværste

pli malbona

بدتر

huonomminhuonompi

goregori

betegebbkellemetlenebbrosszabbrosszabbul

sá verriskána; versnaverrverri

さらに。。。悪い一層悪い一層悪く

더 나쁘게더 나쁜

apsinešiojęsblogiaukas blogesnispablogėtisilpnesnis

ļaunākļaunākaisļaunākssliktāksliktākais

horšíhoršienie tak dobre

poslabšati seslabše

värre

แย่กว่าแย่ลง

xấu đixấu hơn

worse

[wɜːs]

A. ADJ COMPAR of badpeor
his essay is worse than yourssu trabajo es peor que el tuyo
it could be worsepodría ser peor
it’s even worse than we’d predictedes todavía peor de lo que habíamos pronosticado
to get worse [weather, situation, crime] → empeorar; [patient] → empeorar, ponerse peor
my cold is getting worsemi resfriado va a peor
my eyesight is getting worsemi vista va a peor, cada vez veo peor, cada vez tengo peor vista
his behaviour is getting worsesu comportamiento es cada vez peor
to get worse and worseponerse cada vez peor, ir de mal en peor
things will get worse before they get betterlas cosas empeorarán antes de que se les vea la punta
it gets worse (preparing sb for bad news) → lo peor no es eso
to make sth worseempeorar algo
it’ll only make matters or things worsesólo empeorará las cosas
and, to make matters worse,y, para colmo de desgracia, …
he appeared none the worse for his ordealno parecía desmejorado a pesar de su terrible experiencia
there’s nothing worse thanno hay nada peor que …
it’s like last time, only worsees como la última vez, sólo que peor
to be the worse for drinkir cargado de copas
what was worsepara colmo (de males)
see also bad, bark, better, wear

B. ADV COMPAR of badlypeor
I sang worse than he did or than himyo cantaba peor que él
you could or might do worse than give her a callsería aconsejable que la llamarás

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

worse

[ˈwɜːrs]

adj

(= more serious or severe) to make things worse → aggraver les choses
Don’t say anything, you’ll only make things worse → Ne dites rien, vous ne ferez qu’aggraver les choses.
to get worse [condition, situation] → empirer, se dégrader
a change for the worse → une détérioration, une dégradation

(= more ill) → plus mal
I’m feeling worse → Je me sens plus mal.
She got worse in the night and died the next day
BUT Son état a empiré pendant la nuit et elle est morte le lendemain.

npire m
Worse was to come → Le pire était à venir.
the worse for
If you don’t come, then so much the worse for you! → Si tu ne viens pas, tant pis pour toi!
to be none the worse for sth
He is none the worse for it → Il ne s’en porte pas plus mal.
They are none the worse for the fifteen hour journey → Les quinze heures de voyage ne semblent pas les avoir affectés.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

worse

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

worse

(wəːs) adjective

1. bad to a greater extent. My exam results were bad but his were much worse (than mine).

2. not so well. I feel worse today than I did last week.

3. more unpleasant. Waiting for exam results is worse than sitting the exams.

adverb

not so well. He behaves worse now than he did as a child.

pronoun

someone or something which is bad to a greater extent than the other (of two people, things etc). the worse of the two alternatives.

ˈworsen verb

to (cause to) grow worse. The situation has worsened.

none the worse for

not in any way harmed by. The child was lost in the supermarket but fortunately was none the worse for his experience.

the worse for wear

becoming worn out. These chairs are the worse for wear.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

worse

أَسْوَأ, بِطَرِيقَةٍ أَسْوَأ horší, hůř værre schlechter χειρότερα, χειρότερος peor huonommin, huonompi pire gore, gori peggio, peggiore 一層悪い, 一層悪く 더 나쁘게, 더 나쁜 slechter verre gorszy, gorzej pior худший, хуже värre แย่กว่า, แย่ลง daha kötü, daha kötüsü xấu đi, xấu hơn 更坏地, 更坏的

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

worse

(comp de bad y badly) adj & adv peor; to get — empeorar, agravarse; to make — agravar, empeorar; Is there anything that makes the pain worse? ..¿Hay algo que le agrave el dolor?

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Other forms: worser; worses

Worse means «not as good as something else» or «changed negatively,» like a sore throat that is getting worse, meaning it hurts more now.

Worse comes from the Old Saxon word werran or «to entangle, compound.» To compound is to add to, so if troubles, complication, or anything else that entangles are added to a situation, it will get worse. Remember that worse is used to compare two things, such as «now» and «before,» while worst compares three or more things. You might use worse than yesterday, but this doesn’t make it the worst cold you ever had.

Definitions of worse

  1. adjective

    (comparative of `bad’) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

    “this road is
    worse than the first one we took”

    “the road is in
    worse shape than it was”

    “she was accused of
    worse things than cheating and lying”

    Synonyms:

    worsened

    made or become worse; impaired

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    better

    (comparative of `good’) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

    amended

    modified for the better

    finer

    (comparative of `fine’) greater in quality or excellence

    improved

    become or made better in quality

    show more antonyms…

  2. adjective

    changed for the worse in health or fitness

    “I feel
    worse today”

    “her cold is
    worse

    synonyms:

    worsened

  3. adverb

    (comparative of `ill’) in a less effective or successful or desirable manner

    “he did
    worse on the second exam”

  4. noun

    something inferior in quality or condition or effect

    “for better or for
    worse

    “accused of cheating and lying and
    worse

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘worse’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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