worsen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
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.
Scientists have uncovered new evidence that serotonin, a brain chemical best known for helping regulate mood, may also worsen tinnitus, the persistent ringing or buzzing sound that affects millions of people worldwide.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2026
In the beginning, patients may seem fine, but around the fourth day, symptoms can worsen "in a matter of hours," Lazaro said.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Critics argue it could stifle the investment Australia needs to build more houses and could worsen the plight of renters.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
The change assumes that fuel costs remain at or around their current levels and that disruption in factories and global transport networks neither worsen nor improve.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
By our third month in Ro Leap, things begin to worsen.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
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.
