WORSE Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

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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�y��vlog 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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�y��vlog 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.

But of course it will be worse for the retailers who miss out on sales of the physical game.

From

What’s worse is that “Death of a Unicorn” hit theaters close to the same time the far superior satire “Common Side Effects” finished its first season, deriding the same topic.

From

But industrialization has changed that, of course, by introducing light pollution that gradually erased the stars from view before the bright blue light of countless LEDs made the situation so much worse.

From

A companion album, Autumn Variations, released later the same year, fared even worse.

From

“Some days are worse than others. We think about our daughter every single day,” Eugenia Tate said as her voice broke with emotion.

From

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

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