worsen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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worsens,
present (3rd person singular)
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worsened,
past participle, past
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worsening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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worsensimple
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worsenssimple
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have worsenedperfect
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has worsenedperfect
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am worseningprogressive
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are worseningprogressive
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is worseningprogressive
-
have been worseningperfect progressive
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has been worseningperfect progressive
Past
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worsenedsimple
-
had worsenedperfect
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was worseningprogressive
-
were worseningprogressive
-
had been worseningperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
“Coastal flooding and erosion are expected to worsen this morning as the highest waves coincide with the high tides and water levels that are already running well above predicted levels.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Pain and depression, for example, can reduce physical activity, contribute to weight gain, and worsen both sleep and mood.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026
KB Home KBH 1.53%increase; up pointing triangle lowered its outlook for housing gross profit margin, as the company is seeing conditions in the housing industry continue to worsen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
However, some experts and activists fear that AI will worsen water supply problems.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Women were at greater risk because of pregnancy and childbirth, but Charles’s health continued to worsen, and they didn’t know what was wrong with him.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
Prison staff told the BBC they were increasingly having to put two inmates in single occupancy cells, as overcrowding across the adult male estate worsens.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
The dysfunction starts in the early grades and worsens as children are shuffled through the system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The numbers: The U.S. economy improved in July and businesses ramped up hiring, but the gains could prove short-lived if the conflict with Iran intensifies, oil prices climb even higher and inflation worsens.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
As it worsens, however, it can lead to fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, heart failure, and in some cases premature death.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
On the other hand, if the patient worsens, the dosage or intensity of the treatment was not great enough; if he dies, he delayed too long in coming to you.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
“I don’t talk and think Slavery all the time,” Shaw told his dismayed parents as the secession crisis worsened.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Many fire survivors have joined lawsuits against the city of Los Angeles and other entities over missteps that enabled or worsened the fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Given the fact that these problems have only worsened in the six years since the film’s release, the conclusion is pragmatically bleak.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
Now they have worsened to the state that they are in deeply oversold territory, which might suggest a bounce may be needed before declines can resume.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
The facilities only worsened as more patients arrived, crowding the cabins.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
These results suggest that exposure to environmental pollutants and poor dietary habits may reinforce each other's harmful effects, potentially worsening liver damage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Counselors and adolescent psychologists say students’ loneliness and social skills are worsening as they confide in AI tools—and it can be particularly risky for vulnerable kids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Newsom has said building the tunnel, as well the proposed Sites Reservoir northwest of Sacramento, would help the state adapt to worsening droughts with climate change.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
A separate source in Alamata told the BBC there was a worsening humanitarian crisis in the area, as the town swelled with people fleeing fighting.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
One by one, following the tracks I’d made fifteen or twenty minutes earlier, Beidleman and the remainder of Fischer’s clients filed down through the worsening blizzard.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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