Dictionary

worse en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /wɜːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /wɔːs/ (Northumbria)
• [wəɪs] (New-York-City, US, archaic)
• /wɝs/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English worse, werse, from Old English wiersa, from Proto-West Germanic *wirsiʀō, from Proto-Germanic *wirsizô. Cognate with Dutch wers (“worse”).

Meanings

1. (comparative, for non-slang definitions, form-of) comparative form of bad: more bad
   form of bad
   • Your exam results are worse than before.

Forms

Deriveds

worse for liquor · one's bark is worse than one's bite · worse things happen at sea · go from bad to worse · worse and worse · for better or worse · so much the worse for · so much the worse · worse comes to worst · bad comes to worse · worse luck · get even or get even worse · none the worse · for better or for worse · make matters worse · for the worse · worse off · be the worse for drink · worse comes to worse · worse for wear · none to the worse · worse-case · the cure is worse than the disease · worse for ware · take a turn for the worse · what is worse

Relateds

worst

Translations (83)

mk полош (comparative form of bad) · nn dårlegare (comparative form of bad) · gl peor (comparative form of bad) · ru ху́дший (comparative form of bad) · nb dårligere (comparative form of bad) · nl slechter (comparative form of bad) · sh gȍrī (comparative form of bad) · cs horší (comparative form of bad) · rm pês (comparative form of bad) · fi huonompi (comparative form of bad) · gl pior (comparative form of bad) · da dårligere (comparative form of bad) · sh lȍšijī (comparative form of bad) · wa pé (comparative form of bad) · nb verre (comparative form of bad) · ja より悪い (comparative form of bad) · la peior (comparative form of bad) · ka უფრო ცუდი (comparative form of bad) · ar أَسْوَأ (comparative form of bad) · cmn 更糟 (comparative form of bad) · sv värre (comparative form of bad) · th แย่กว่า (comparative form of bad) · got 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍃𐌹𐌶𐌰 (comparative form of bad) · ja さらに…悪い (comparative form of bad) · ja もっと悪い (comparative form of bad) · grc χείρων (comparative form of bad) · hy ավելի վատ (comparative form of bad) · sk horší (comparative form of bad) · ru ху́же (comparative form of bad) · pt pior (comparative form of bad) · ang wiersa (comparative form of bad) · wa peyeu (comparative form of bad) · de schlechter (comparative form of bad) · nl erger (comparative form of bad) · th เลวกว่า (comparative form of bad) · fur piês (comparative form of bad) · sc pejus (comparative form of bad) · eo pli malbona (comparative form of bad) · cmn 比較壞 /比较坏 (comparative form of bad) · fr pire (comparative form of bad) · enm worse (comparative form of bad) · sv sämre (comparative form of bad) · de ärger (comparative form of bad) · lld piec (comparative form of bad) · la dēterior (comparative form of bad) · vi xấu hơn (comparative form of bad) · wyi nulim (comparative form of bad) · fr plus mauvais (comparative form of bad) · rsk горши (comparative form of bad) · sh го̏рӣ (comparative form of bad) · ja いっそう悪い (comparative form of bad) · la nēquior (comparative form of bad) · ko 더 나쁜 (comparative form of bad) · ca pitjor (comparative form of bad) · az pis (comparative form of bad) · rm mender (comparative form of bad) · rm pêr (comparative form of bad) · kw gweth (comparative form of bad) · scn peggiu (comparative form of bad) · de schlimmer (comparative form of bad) · bg по-лош (comparative form of bad) · cy gwaeth (comparative form of bad) · it peggiore (comparative form of bad) · az betər (comparative form of bad) · da værre (comparative form of bad) · sl slabši (comparative form of bad) · pl gorszy (comparative form of bad) · vi tệ hơn (comparative form of bad) · tl lalong masama (comparative form of bad) · km អាក្រក់ជាង (comparative form of bad) · cmn 更壞 /更坏 (comparative form of bad) · sh ло̏шијӣ (comparative form of bad) · es peor (comparative form of bad) · grc ἥσσων (comparative form of bad) · uk гі́рший (comparative form of bad) · fa بدتر (comparative form of bad) · oc pièger (comparative form of bad) · hu rosszabb (comparative form of bad) · nn verre (comparative form of bad) · az daha pis (comparative form of bad) · ka უარესი (comparative form of bad) · sc peus (comparative form of bad) · be го́ршы (comparative form of bad)

worse en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /wɜːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /wɔːs/ (Northumbria)
• [wəɪs] (New-York-City, US, archaic)
• /wɝs/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English worse, werse, from Old English wiersa, from Proto-West Germanic *wirsiʀō, from Proto-Germanic *wirsizô. Cognate with Dutch wers (“worse”).

Meanings

1. (comparative, form-of) comparative form of badly (adverb): more badly
   form of badly
   • Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found. 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
   • The harder you try, the worse you do.
2. Less skillfully.
   • He drives worse than anyone else I know.
3. More severely or seriously.
   • The bad news affected me worse than it did my brother.
4. (qualifier:sentence adverb) Used to start a sentence describing something that is worse.
   • Her leg is infected. Still worse, she's developing a fever.

Forms

Translations (35)

da dårligere (comparative of badly) · nn dårlegare (comparative of badly) · hy ավելի վատ (comparative of badly) · cs hůře (comparative of badly) · da værre (comparative of badly) · nl slechter (comparative of badly) · fi pahemmin (comparative of badly) · az betər (comparative of badly) · fr plus mal (comparative of badly) · es peor (comparative of badly) · sv sämre (comparative of badly) · uk гі́рше (comparative of badly) · cs hůř (comparative of badly) · rsk горше (comparative of badly) · fi huonommin (comparative of badly) · nn verre (comparative of badly) · oc pièg (comparative of badly) · de schlechter (comparative of badly) · ca pitjor (comparative of badly) · sk horšie (comparative of badly) · ru ху́же (comparative of badly) · az daha pis (comparative of badly) · pl gorzej (comparative of badly) · sv värre (comparative of badly) · sc pejus (comparative of badly) · az pis (comparative of badly) · ro mai rău (comparative of badly) · nb verre (comparative of badly) · nb dårligere (comparative of badly) · be горш (comparative of badly) · de schlimmer (comparative of badly) · gl peor (comparative of badly) · ang wiers (comparative of badly) · enm worse (comparative of badly) · pt pior (comparative of badly)

worse en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /wɜːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /wɔːs/ (Northumbria)
• [wəɪs] (New-York-City, US, archaic)
• /wɝs/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English worse, werse, from Old English wiersa, from Proto-West Germanic *wirsiʀō, from Proto-Germanic *wirsizô. Cognate with Dutch wers (“worse”).

Meanings

1. (obsolete) Loss; disadvantage; defeat
   • Judah was put to the worse before Israel. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Kings 4:12:
2. That which is worse; something less good.
   • Do not think the worse of him for his enterprise.

Forms

worse en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /wɜːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /wɔːs/ (Northumbria)
• [wəɪs] (New-York-City, US, archaic)
• /wɝs/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English worse, werse, from Old English wiersa, from Proto-West Germanic *wirsiʀō, from Proto-Germanic *wirsizô. Cognate with Dutch wers (“worse”).

Meanings

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make worse; to put at disadvantage; to discomfit.
   • Weapons more violent, when next we meet, / May serve to better us and worse our foes. 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

Forms