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worse

[ wurs ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

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

that which is worse.

adverb

in a more evil, wicked, severe, or disadvantageous manner.
with more severity, intensity, etc.; in a greater degree.

worse

/ ��ɜː�� /

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 condition
a 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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of worse¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective, adverb, and noun); Old English wiersa (comparative adjective), wiers (adverb); cognate with Old Norse verri, Gothic wairsiza; war ²

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Word History and Origins

Origin of worse¹

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

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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with worse , 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 under worst .

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Eaton and Palisades fires likely made polluted soils worse, but soil experts say bioremediation may be an alternative to scraping, especially for gardeners.

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In the middle of that uncertainty, the news got worse.

From

The worst of the algae bloom’s damage appears to be in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, where some experts wonder if runoff from January’s firestorms has made the bloom worse.

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“Morale sucks, and it's only going to get worse.”

From

If you were looking for a handy summation of what's wrong with the Democratic Party, and many voters are, you could do a lot worse than Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

worrywart worse for wear

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