Dictionary

worsen en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈwɝsn̩/ (General-American)
• /ˈwɜːsn̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /wɔːsn̩/ (Northumbria)

Etymology

From Middle English wursnen; equivalent to worse + -en.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make worse; to impair.
   • Near-synonyms: aggravate, exacerbate; degrade, deteriorate; see also Thesaurus:aggravate
   • Global warming has worsened the weather.
   • It is apparent that, in the particular point of which we have been conversing, their condition is greatly worsened. 1829, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Sir Thomas More: or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:
   • As for further retaliation: adding such fuel to the fire, as it were, will only worsen the already unpleasant state of affairs.
2. (intransitive) To become worse; to get worse.
   • The weather has worsened.
   • During the day conditions worsened quickly—for example, a 2-6-0 on the Uckfield line suddenly encountered flood water high enough to enter its ashpan and extinguish its fire—until lock gates up-river at Barcombe gave way and a tidal wave rolled down the valley meeting head-on a spring tide rolling up from the coast. 1961 January, “Talking of Trains: Flooding at Lewes”, in Trains Illustrated, page 5:
   • TPE's cancellation score worsened from 7.2% to 23.8% when adjusted to include pre-cancellations (P*-coded) owing to a shortage of train crew. 2023 April 5, Mel Holley, “Network News: TPE faces uncertain future after high cancellation rate”, in RAIL, number 980, page 8:
3. (obsolete, transitive) To get the better of; to worst.

Forms

Antonyms

mitigate · ameliorate · meliorate · improve · ameliorate · improve · better · improve

Coordinates

recover

Deriveds

worsener

Hypernyms

happen

Hyponyms

consume · forpine · burn · disintegrate · wear away · waste away · make matters worse · squander · dissipate

Relateds

deteriorated · aggravate · bad

Synonyms

go downhill · deteriorate · wither · tabefy · go pear-shaped · pejorate · exacerbate · suffer · go to pot · go to the dogs · aggravate · defile · debase · sophisticate · contaminate · defeat · confound · set back · atrophy · uplift · better · leaven · deflower · wane · decline · go south · exacerbate · envenom · decline · spend · devolve · weaken · go wrong · go bad · overpower · wanse · downgrade · infect · vitiate · go off · worsen · crack · go to hell · alloy · fade · exasperate · lapse · go south · go sideways · go to seed · deteriorate · sweal · pejorate · adulterate · badden · aggravate · retrograde · wither away · go downhill · debauch · corrupt · deteriorate · deteriorate · go left · impair · fall off · degenerate · molder · stain · shrivel · break down · degrade · degrade · canker

Translations (98)

sv förvärras (intransitive: get worse) · ko 악화하다 (intransitive: get worse) · ja 悪くなる (intransitive: get worse) · ru ухудша́ться (intransitive: get worse) · es pasar de guatemala a guatepeor (transitive: make worse) · tl lumubha (intransitive: get worse) · es desmejorar (transitive: make worse) · ko 악화되다 (intransitive: get worse) · cho aiyʋbechi (transitive: make worse) · be паго́ршыць (transitive: make worse) · pt empiorar (transitive: make worse) · tl palalain (transitive: make worse) · be пагарша́ць (transitive: make worse) · nl verergeren (transitive: make worse) · br fallaat (transitive: make worse) · cy gwaethygu (intransitive: get worse) · hi मंडराना (transitive: make worse) · hu rosszabbodik (intransitive: get worse) · uk погі́ршувати (transitive: make worse) · fi huonontua (intransitive: get worse) · ru уху́дшить (transitive: make worse) · gl empeorar (transitive: make worse) · es ir de mal en peor (transitive: make worse) · cmn 惡化 /恶化 (intransitive: get worse) · ast empeorarse (intransitive: get worse) · gl empeorar (intransitive: get worse) · eo plimalboniĝi (intransitive: get worse) · br fallaat (intransitive: get worse) · ast empeorar (transitive: make worse) · cs zhoršit se (intransitive: get worse) · la aggravor (intransitive: get worse) · la aggravō (transitive: make worse) · it peggiorare (transitive: make worse) · ka გაუარესება (intransitive: get worse) · cmn 使……變壞 /使……变坏 (transitive: make worse) · nl verergeren (intransitive: get worse) · ja 改悪する (transitive: make worse) · fi huonontaa (transitive: make worse) · de verschlechtern (transitive: make worse) · de sich verschlechtern (intransitive: get worse) · pt piorar (intransitive: get worse) · es empeorarse (intransitive: get worse) · gd mùth (intransitive: get worse) · ro agrava (transitive: make worse) · gl malvar (transitive: make worse) · es peorarse (intransitive: get worse) · es peyorar (intransitive: get worse) · is versna (intransitive: get worse) · es empeorar (transitive: make worse) · uz yomonlashmoq (intransitive: get worse) · cmn 使……惡化 /使……恶化 (transitive: make worse) · fi pahentaa (transitive: make worse) · qu anchayay (intransitive: get worse) · cs zhoršit (transitive: make worse) · izh vaikenoittaa (transitive: make worse) · es peyorar (transitive: make worse) · it andare di male in peggio (transitive: make worse) · la peius fio (intransitive: get worse) · tl palubhain (transitive: make worse) · tl lumala (intransitive: get worse) · cmn 變壞 /变坏 (intransitive: get worse) · cy gwaethygu (transitive: make worse) · ca empitjorar (intransitive: get worse) · ja 悪化させる (transitive: make worse) · eo plimalbonigi (transitive: make worse) · uk погі́ршити (transitive: make worse) · be пагарша́цца (intransitive: get worse) · es desmejorarse (intransitive: get worse) · la dēteriorō (transitive: make worse) · be паго́ршыцца (intransitive: get worse) · la gravō (transitive: make worse) · gl malvar (intransitive: get worse) · pl pogorszyć (transitive: make worse) · ca empitjorar (transitive: make worse) · pt piorar (transitive: make worse) · ro înrăutăți (transitive: make worse) · bg влошавам (transitive: make worse) · ru ухудша́ть (transitive: make worse) · gd rach bhuaithe (intransitive: get worse) · es peorar (transitive: make worse) · sv förvärra (transitive: make worse) · pt empiorar (intransitive: get worse) · fr empirer (transitive: make worse) · ru уху́дшиться (intransitive: get worse) · de verschlimmern (transitive: make worse) · hi बिगड़ना (transitive: make worse) · de sich verschlimmern (intransitive: get worse) · ka გაუარესება (transitive: make worse) · it peggiorare (intransitive: get worse) · izh vajeta (intransitive: get worse) · ja 悪くする (transitive: make worse) · hu rosszabbít (transitive: make worse) · la gravor (intransitive: get worse) · fi pahentua (intransitive: get worse) · ja 悪化する (intransitive: get worse) · bg влошавам се (intransitive: get worse) · cho aiyʋbi (intransitive: get worse) · pl pogarszać (transitive: make worse)