worsen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have worsenedperfect
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has worsenedperfect 3rd person singular
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are worseningprogressive
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am worseningprogressive 1st person singular
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have been worseningperfect progressive
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has been worseningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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worseningparticiple
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is worseningprogressive 3rd person singular
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worsenssingular 3rd person
Past
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had worsenedperfect
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had been worseningperfect progressive
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were worseningprogressive plural
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was worseningprogressive singular
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worsenedsimple
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worsenedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of worsen
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English wersnen “to deteriorate”; see origin at worse, -en 1
Explanation
When things go from terrible to even more terrible, they worsen. If your sore throat worsens, you should call the doctor. If something gets worse, you can say that it worsens. So if the rain that started as a misty drizzle begins to grow torrential, threatening to ruin the picnic you've planned, the weather worsens. And if there's less money in your piggy bank every day, your financial situation worsens. The verb worsen shares a root with war, the Old Saxon werran, meaning "to entangle."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some are concerned that AI could worsen what’s called a “K-shaped” economy, in which the rich see growth and most other people struggle with stagnating opportunities.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Amodei has warned that AI could worsen inequality and eliminate as many as half of entry-level white-collar jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
One way to gauge how much those pressures could worsen is to monitor where the bond market expects inflation to go next.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
The treatment was also associated with reduced levels of proinflammatory molecules, which are substances that can worsen inflammation and contribute to tissue damage.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
It would dramatically worsen poverty in China’s three northeast provinces, which have largely missed out on the wealth generated by the country’s economic boom.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
