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:
These kinds of asset recovery can worsen housing instability, limit opportunities for intergenerational wealth and contribute to existing racial and economic disparities, the organization adds.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
The drought is expected to persist or worsen for at least the next month, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
It is such activities that Pope says worsen the conflict with wildlife.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Mutations linked to future progression may be detectable long before symptoms worsen or standard clinical tests reveal a major change.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 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
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
Higher levels of cortisol also worsens sleep further, locking workers into a self-reinforcing cycle.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
"These cells are probably attempting to clear damage and promote repair, but that process fails, worsens inflammation, and counteracts recovery."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026
Veda’s behavior worsens, including a fake pregnancy with a son of L.A. old money, until the epic showdown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Scrolling through her pictures only worsens my mood.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Political tension and the security crisis have worsened in Mali.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Ties between Japan and Russia -- which fought a war in 1904-5 -- have worsened since the full-scale conflict in Ukraine began in 2022.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Dozens of Indonesian schools were shuttered for a second day Tuesday to protect against the spreading haze from wildfires at the start of a long and intense dry season worsened by El Nino.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
But on Aug. 3, the center reported her packed cell volume fell to 13%, meaning her anemia had worsened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The facilities only worsened as more patients arrived, crowding the cabins.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
The program comes as young people in the state face worsening hazards fueled by climate change including extreme heat, wildfires and dangerous air pollution.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The U.S. restrictions are worsening an economic crisis in Iran, causing job losses and sending prices soaring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
But families complain about the cost of living and the fiscal deficit is worsening.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
She stressed that a combination of factors led to an existing shortage worsening to crisis level.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Anat struggled to get the words out, the smoke from auditorium one now a steadily worsening haze.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
