worse

[ wurs ]

/ wɜrs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR worse ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, compar. of bad and ill.

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.

RELATED WORDS

poor, bad, ill

Nearby words

worry, worry beads, worryguts, worrying, worrywart, worse, worse for wear, worsen, worser, worset, worship

Origin of worse

before 900; Middle English (adj., adv., and noun); Old English wiersa (comparative adj.), wiers (adv.); cognate with Old Norse verri, Gothic wairsiza; see war²

Definition for worse (2 of 4)

ill

[ il ]

/ ɪl /

adjective, worse, worst; ill·er, ill·est for 7.

of unsound physical or mental health; unwell; sick: She felt ill, so her teacher sent her to the nurse.

objectionable; unsatisfactory; poor; faulty: ill manners.

hostile; unkindly: ill feeling.

evil; wicked; bad: of ill repute.

unfavorable; adverse: ill fortune.

of inferior worth or ability; unskillful; inexpert: an ill example of scholarship.

Slang. great; amazing: His mom is the illest cook.

noun

an unfavorable opinion or statement: I can speak no ill of her.

harm or injury: His remarks did much ill.

trouble, distress, or misfortune: Many ills befell him.

evil: to know the difference between good and ill.

sickness or disease.

adverb

in an ill manner.

unsatisfactorily; poorly: It ill befits a man to betray old friends.

in a hostile or unfriendly manner.

unfavorably; unfortunately.

with displeasure or offense.

faultily; improperly.

with difficulty or inconvenience; scarcely: Buying a new car is an expense we can ill afford.

Origin of ill

1150–1200; Middle English ill(e) (noun and adj.) < Old Norse illr (adj.) ill, bad

SYNONYMS FOR ill

1 unhealthy, ailing, diseased, afflicted.

4 wrong, iniquitous.

9 hurt, pain, affliction, misery.

10 calamity.

11 depravity.

12 illness, affliction.

14 badly.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ill ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR ill

1 well, healthy.

4 good.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR ill ON THESAURUS.COM

Can be confused

ill sick¹ (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonym study

1. Ill, sick mean being in bad health, not being well. Ill is the more formal word. In the U.S. the two words are used practically interchangeably except that sick is always used when the word modifies the following noun: He looks sick ( ill ); a sick person. In England, sick is not interchangeable with ill, but usually has the connotation of nauseous: She got sick and threw up. sick, however, is used before nouns just as in the U.S.: a sick man. 4. See bad¹.

Grammar note

See well¹.

Definition for worse (3 of 4)

bad

[ bad ]

/ bæd /

adjective, worse, worst; (Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.

not good in any manner or degree.

having a wicked or evil character; morally reprehensible: There is no such thing as a bad boy.

of poor or inferior quality; defective; deficient: a bad diamond; a bad spark plug.

inadequate or below standard; not satisfactory for use: bad heating; Living conditions in some areas are very bad.

inaccurate, incorrect, or faulty: a bad guess.

invalid, unsound, or false: a bad insurance claim; bad judgment.

causing or liable to cause sickness or ill health; injurious or harmful: Too much sugar is bad for your teeth.

suffering from sickness, ill health, pain, or injury; sick; ill: He felt bad from eating the green apples.

not healthy or in good physical condition; diseased, decayed, or physically weakened: A bad heart kept him out of the army.

tainted, spoiled, or rotten, especially to the point of being inedible: The meat is bad because you left it out of the refrigerator too long.

having a disastrous or detrimental effect, result, or tendency; unfavorable: The drought is bad for the farmers. His sloppy appearance made a bad impression.

causing or characterized by discomfort, inconvenience, uneasiness, or annoyance; disagreeable; unpleasant: I had a bad flight to Chicago.

easily provoked to anger; irascible: a bad temper.

cross, irritable, or surly: If I don't have my morning coffee, I'm in a bad mood all day.

more uncomfortable, persistent, painful, or dangerous than usual; severe: a bad attack of asthma.

causing or resulting in disaster or severe damage or destruction: a bad flood.

regretful, contrite, dejected, or upset: He felt bad about having to leave the children all alone.

disobedient, naughty, or misbehaving: If you're bad at school, you'll go to bed without supper.

disreputable or dishonorable: He's getting a bad name from changing jobs so often.

displaying a lack of skill, talent, proficiency, or judgment: a bad painting; Bad drivers cause most of the accidents.

causing distress; unfortunate or unfavorable: I'm afraid I have bad news for you.

not suitable or appropriate; disadvantageous or dangerous: It was a bad day for fishing.

inclement; considered too stormy, hot, cold, etc.: We had a bad winter with a lot of snow.

disagreeable or offensive to the senses: a bad odor.

exhibiting a lack of artistic sensitivity: The room was decorated in bad taste.

not in keeping with a standard of behavior or conduct; coarse: bad manners.

(of a word, speech, or writing)

vulgar, obscene, or blasphemous: bad language.
not properly observing rules or customs of grammar, usage, spelling, etc.; incorrect: He speaks bad English.

unattractive, especially because of a lack of pleasing proportions: She has a bad figure.

(of the complexion) marred by defects; pockmarked or pimply; blemished: bad skin.

not profitable or worth the price paid: The land was a bad buy.

Commerce. deemed uncollectible or irrecoverable and treated as a loss: a bad debt.

ill-spent; wasted: Don't throw good money after bad money.

counterfeit; not genuine: There was a bad ten-dollar bill in with the change.

having the character of a villain; villainous: In the movies the good guys always beat the bad guys.

Sports. failing to land within the in-bounds limits of a court or section of a court; missing the mark; not well aimed.

Slang. outstandingly excellent; first-rate: He's a bad man on drums, and the fans love him.

noun

that which is bad: You have to take the bad with the good.

a bad condition, character, or quality: His health seemed to go from bad to worse.

(used with a plural verb) evil persons collectively (usually preceded by the): The bad are always stirring up trouble.

adverb Informal.

badly: He wanted it bad enough to steal it.

Origin of bad

1250–1300; Middle English badde, perhaps akin to Old English bæddel hermaphrodite, bædling womanish man

SYNONYMS FOR bad

2 depraved, corrupt, base, sinful, criminal, atrocious.

10 putrefied.

21 adverse, unlucky, unhappy.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bad ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

bad·ness, noun

Synonym study

2. Bad, evil, ill, wicked are closest in meaning in reference to that which is lacking in moral qualities or is actually vicious and reprehensible. Bad is the broadest and simplest term: a bad man; bad habits. Evil applies to that which violates or leads to the violation of moral law: evil practices. Ill now appears mainly in certain fixed expressions, with a milder implication than that in evil: ill will; ill-natured. Wicked implies willful and determined doing of what is very wrong: a wicked plan.

Usage note

The adjective bad meaning “unpleasant, unattractive, unfavorable, spoiled, etc.,” is the usual form to follow such copulative verbs as sound, smell, look, and taste: After the rainstorm the water tasted bad. The coach says the locker room smells bad. After the copulative verb feel, the adjective badly in reference to physical or emotional states is also used and is standard, although bad is more common in formal writing: I feel bad from overeating. She felt badly about her friend's misfortune.
When the adverbial use is required, badly is standard with all verbs: She reacted badly to the criticism. Bad as an adverb appears mainly in informal contexts: I didn't do too bad on the tests. He wants money so bad it hurts. See also badly, good.

Definition for worse (4 of 4)

badly

[ bad-lee ]

/ ˈbæd li /

adverb, worse, worst.

in a defective, incorrect, or undesirable way: The car runs badly.

in an unsatisfactory, inadequate, or unskilled manner: a vague, badly written letter; He paints badly.

unfavorably: His neighbors spoke badly of him. The weather turned out badly for the cruise.

in a wicked, evil, or morally or legally wrong way.

in a disobedient, naughty, or ethically or socially wrong way: He treats his parents badly.

very much; to a great extent or degree: a house badly in need of repair; to want something badly.

severely; direly: to be injured badly.

with great distress, resentment, regret, or emotional display: She took the news of her mother's death badly.

adjective

in ill health; sick: He felt badly.

sorry; regretful: I feel badly about your reaction to my remark.

dejected; downcast.

Origin of badly

First recorded in 1350–1400, badly is from the Middle English word baddeli. See bad¹, -ly

Can be confused

bad badly (see usage note at bad¹) (see usage note at the current entry)

Usage note

In the sense “very much,” badly is fully standard: He needs help badly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for worse

A Republican candidate hoping to win red state support could find a worse team to root for than one from Dallas.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The headaches, fevers (and worse) you may experience on Thursday are nothing new.
History's Craziest Hangover Cures|Justin Jones|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Worse still is how much of this is being made into performance.
Public Marriage Proposals Must Die|Tauriq Moosa|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Pew poll also found most African Americans expect relations between police and minorities will actually get worse.
Dr. Howard Fuller's Injustice Education|Campbell Brown|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Americans are giving in to North Korean blackmail—and it will only get worse.
The Sony Hack and America’s Craven Capitulation To Terror|David Keyes|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Any woman of them all might do worse than fall in love with thee.
The Substance of a Dream |F. W. Bain
Julius Cæsar's wife was put away on suspicion, but Faustina was worse than that!
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great Philosophers, Volume 8|Elbert Hubbard
Surely an eternity in such a miserably confused crowd would be worse than annihilation itself!
Practical Religion|John Charles Ryle
I believe in saying out:—that the more one thinks about life the worse it becomes.
The Return|Walter de la Mare
She is very ill now, rejoined Mrs. Maylie, and will be worse, I am sure.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3)|Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for worse (1 of 5)

worse

/ (wɜːs) /

adjective

the comparative of bad 1

none the worse for not harmed by (adverse events or circumstances)

the worse for wear

shabby or worn
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 conditiona 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

Word Origin for worse

Old English wiersa; related to Old Frisian werra, Old High German wirsiro, Old Norse verri, Gothic wairsiza

British Dictionary definitions for worse (2 of 5)

badly

/ (ˈbædlɪ) /

adverb worse or worst

poorly; defectively; inadequatelythe chair is badly made

unfavourably; unsuccessfully; unfortunatelyour scheme worked out badly

severely; gravelyhe was badly hurt

incorrectly or inaccuratelyto speak German badly

improperly; naughtily; wickedlyto behave badly

without humanity; cruellyto treat someone badly

very much (esp in the phrases need badly, badly in need of, want badly)

regretfullyhe felt badly about it

badly off poor; impoverished

adjective

(postpositive) Northern English dialect ill; poorly

British Dictionary definitions for worse (3 of 5)

ill

/ (ɪl) /

adjective worse or worst

(usually postpositive) not in good health; sick

characterized by or intending evil, harm, etc; hostileill deeds

causing or resulting in pain, harm, adversity, etcill effects

ascribing or imputing evil to something referred toill repute

promising an unfavourable outcome; unpropitiousan ill omen

harsh; lacking kindnessill will

not up to an acceptable standard; faultyill manners

ill at ease unable to relax; uncomfortable

noun

evil or harmto wish a person ill

a mild disease

misfortune; trouble

adverb

badlythe title ill befits him

with difficulty; hardlyhe can ill afford the money

not rightlyshe ill deserves such good fortune

Word Origin for ill

C11 (in the sense: evil): from Old Norse illr bad

British Dictionary definitions for worse (4 of 5)

bad

/ (bæd) /

adjective worse or worst

not good; of poor quality; inadequate; inferiorbad workmanship; bad soil; bad light for reading

(often foll by at) lacking skill or talent; incompetenta bad painter; bad at sports

(often foll by for) harmfulbad air; smoking is bad for you

immoral; evila bad life

naughty; mischievous; disobedienta bad child

rotten; decayed; spoileda bad egg

severe; intensea bad headache

incorrect; wrong; faultybad pronunciation

ill or in pain (esp in the phrase feel bad)

regretful, sorry, or upset (esp in the phrase feel bad about)

unfavourable; distressingbad news; a bad business

offensive; unpleasant; disagreeablebad language; bad temper

not valid or sound; voida bad cheque

not recoverablea bad debt

badder or baddest slang good; excellent

go from bad to worse to deteriorate even more

go bad to putrefy; spoil

in a bad way informal

seriously ill, through sickness or injury
in trouble of any kind

in someone's bad books See book (def. 21)

make the best of a bad job to manage as well as possible in unfavourable circumstances

not bad or not so bad informal passable; fair; fairly good

not half bad informal very good

too bad informal (often used dismissively) regrettable

noun

unfortunate or unpleasant events collectively (often in the phrase take the bad with the good)

an immoral or degenerate state (often in the phrase go to the bad)

the debit side of an account£200 to the bad

my bad US and Canadian informal my fault or mistake

adverb

not standard badlyto want something bad

Derived Forms

baddish, adjectivebadness, noun

Word Origin for bad

C13: probably from bæd-, as the first element of Old English bǣddel hermaphrodite, bǣdling sodomite

British Dictionary definitions for worse (5 of 5)

bad

/ (bæd) /

verb

a variant of bade

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for worse

ill

[ ĭl ]

adj.

Not healthy; sick.

Not normal, as a condition; unsound.

n.

A disease or illness, especially of animals.

Idioms and Phrases with worse (1 of 3)

worse

In addition to the idiom beginning with worse

worse for wear

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 underworst.

Idioms and Phrases with worse (2 of 3)

bad

In addition to the idioms beginning with bad

bad blood
bad egg
bad hair day
bad luck
badly off
bad mouth
bad name
bad news
bad off
bad sort, a
bad taste
bad time
bad trip

also see:

come to an end (bad end)
feel bad
from bad to worse
get off on the wrong foot (to a bad start)
give a bad name
give bad marks to
go bad
in a bad mood
in a bad way
in bad faith
in bad with someone
in someone's bad graces
leave a bad taste in one's mouth
make the best of (a bad bargain)
not a bad sort
not bad
poor (bad) taste
run of (bad) luck
too bad
turn up (like a bad penny)
with bad grace

Idioms and Phrases with worse (3 of 3)

ill

In addition to the idioms beginning with ill

ill at ease
ill wind that blows no one any good, it's an

, also see under

get sick

worse

adjective, compar. of bad and ill.

noun

adverb

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of worse

Definition for worse (2 of 4)

ill

adjective, worse, worst; ill·er, ill·est for 7.

noun

adverb

Origin of ill

SYNONYMS FOR ill

ANTONYMS FOR ill

Can be confused

Synonym study

Grammar note

Definition for worse (3 of 4)

bad

adjective, worse, worst; (Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.

noun

adverb Informal.

Origin of bad

SYNONYMS FOR bad

Related forms

Synonym study

Usage note

Definition for worse (4 of 4)

badly

adverb, worse, worst.

adjective

Origin of badly

Can be confused

Usage note

Examples from the Web for worse

British Dictionary definitions for worse (1 of 5)

worse

adjective

noun

adverb

Word Origin for worse

British Dictionary definitions for worse (2 of 5)

badly

adverb worse or worst

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for worse (3 of 5)

ill

adjective worse or worst

noun

adverb

Word Origin for ill

British Dictionary definitions for worse (4 of 5)

bad

adjective worse or worst

noun

adverb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for bad

British Dictionary definitions for worse (5 of 5)

bad

verb

Medicine definitions for worse

ill

adj.

n.

Idioms and Phrases with worse (1 of 3)

worse

Idioms and Phrases with worse (2 of 3)

bad

Idioms and Phrases with worse (3 of 3)

ill