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
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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
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were worseningprogressive
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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:
And similar numbers doubt it would worsen racial tensions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Audi cut its full-year guidance and pledged to intensify efficiency measures as market conditions worsen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
"If you're in a mental health crisis you might find a policeman turning up extremely frightening and it might worsen the situation," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
"The disruptions in sleep and cortical EEG activity that occur at 6 months, when plaques first emerge, did not worsen by 18 months, despite more than double the amount of plaque burden."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
And claiming that it is will, in its ignorance, worsen the ecological ailments that activists would like to cure.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Extreme heat is particularly dangerous to people with existing health conditions, as it worsens many conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma and dementia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Read: Investors are dumping AI stocks as ‘tech wreck’ worsens.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Jane Campbell, a peer in the House of Lords upper chamber, struggles to speak naturally due to spinal muscular atrophy, a condition that worsens over time.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Malcolm says “orthosomnia”—where chasing the perfect score worsens sleep—is real.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
But as the sun starts to set, Vincent’s condition worsens.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
He said last month that imaging suggested the slight tear in his UCL hadn’t worsened since 2022.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Her symptoms worsened into adulthood with tears, blisters and sores.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The southwestern regions of Gironde and Landes, along with the southeastern region of Var, were ravaged by forest fires that spread rapidly in tinder-dry conditions worsened by successive heatwaves.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“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
Hunt grimaced; the trip from New York and the excursion to Jackson Park had worsened his gout.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
In October last year, the UN Security Council approved expanded powers for the GSF to tackle worsening gang violence in Haiti.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
When combined, however, the two factors had a much stronger effect, significantly increasing fat accumulation and worsening fatty liver.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
The fall in sentiment for October was driven mainly by worsening consumer expectations for the U.K. economy in the coming year, as well as a slump in intentions to make major purchases, according to GfK.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Former residents of the city told AFP earlier this month that people there were caught in the crossfire between Russia and Ukraine and facing worsening shortages of food and medication.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Daylight was waning, the weather was worsening, my reserves of strength were nearly gone.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
