Standard Lemma guide

worsen

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈwɜːsn̩/
  • Northumbria: /wɔːsn̩/
  • General-American: /ˈwɝsn̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)sən
  • CMU ARPABET: W ER1 S AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make worse; to impair.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: aggravate, exacerbate; degrade, deteriorate; see also Thesaurus:aggravate
  • Global warming has worsened the weather.
  • As for further retaliation: adding such fuel to the fire, as it were, will only worsen the already unpleasant state of affairs.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aggravate, exacerbate, degrade, deteriorate, adulterate, alloy, canker, contaminate, corrupt, debase, debauch, defile, deflower, downgrade, envenom, exasperate, infect, impair, leaven, pejorate, set back, stain, sophisticate, uplift, vitiate, weaken

Antonyms: ameliorate, improve, meliorate, mitigate

2

verb

Meaning 2

To become worse; to get worse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The weather has worsened.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badden, decline, deteriorate, go downhill, go south

Antonyms: improve

3

verb

Meaning 3

To get the better of; to worst.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: better, defeat, overpower

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

grow worse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Conditions in the slum worsened

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decline

Antonyms: better

Broader terms: change state, turn

Narrower terms: inflame, sicken, come down, devolve, deteriorate, drop, degenerate, deprive, impoverish, fail, tumble, slip, drop off, drop away, fall away, suffer, lose, regress, retrograde, retrogress, turn down

5

verb

Meaning 5

make worse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This drug aggravates the pain

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate

Antonyms: better

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: irritate, inflame, degrade, cheapen

History

Etymology

From Middle English wursnen; equivalent to worse + -en.

Across languages

Translations

98 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: empeorar — transitive: make worse
  • Belarusian: пагарша́ць (paharšácʹ) — transitive: make worse
  • Belarusian: паго́ршыць (pahóršycʹ) — transitive: make worse
  • Breton: fallaat — transitive: make worse
  • Bulgarian: влошавам (vlošavam) — transitive: make worse
  • Catalan: empitjorar — transitive: make worse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使......惡化 /使......恶化 (shǐ ... èhuà) — transitive: make worse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使......變壞 /使......变坏 (shǐ ... biànhuài) — transitive: make worse
  • Choctaw: aiyʋbechi — transitive: make worse
  • Czech: zhoršit — transitive: make worse
  • Dutch: verergeren — transitive: make worse
  • Esperanto: plimalbonigi — transitive: make worse
  • Finnish: pahentaa — transitive: make worse
  • Finnish: huonontaa — transitive: make worse
  • French: empirer — transitive: make worse
  • Galician: empeorar — transitive: make worse
  • Galician: malvar — transitive: make worse
  • Georgian: გაუარესება (gauareseba) — transitive: make worse
  • German: verschlechtern — transitive: make worse
  • German: verschlimmern — transitive: make worse
  • Hindi: बिगड़ना (bigaṛnā) — transitive: make worse
  • Hindi: मंडराना (maṇḍrānā) — transitive: make worse
  • Hungarian: rosszabbít — transitive: make worse
  • Ingrian: vaikenoittaa — transitive: make worse
  • Italian: peggiorare — transitive: make worse
  • Italian: andare di male in peggio — transitive: make worse
  • Japanese: 改悪する (kaiaku suru) — transitive: make worse
  • Japanese: 悪化させる (akka saseru) — transitive: make worse
  • Japanese: 悪くする (waruku suru) — transitive: make worse
  • Latin: aggravō — transitive: make worse
  • Latin: gravō — transitive: make worse
  • Latin: dēteriorō — transitive: make worse
  • Polish: pogarszać — transitive: make worse
  • Polish: pogorszyć — transitive: make worse
  • Portuguese: piorar — transitive: make worse
  • Portuguese: empiorar — transitive: make worse
  • Romanian: agrava — transitive: make worse
  • Romanian: înrăutăți — transitive: make worse
  • Russian: ухудша́ть (uxudšátʹ) — transitive: make worse
  • Russian: уху́дшить (uxúdšitʹ) — transitive: make worse
  • Spanish: empeorar — transitive: make worse
  • Spanish: desmejorar — transitive: make worse
  • Spanish: ir de mal en peor — transitive: make worse
  • Spanish: peorar — transitive: make worse
  • Spanish: peyorar — transitive: make worse
  • Spanish: pasar de guatemala a guatepeor — transitive: make worse
  • Swedish: förvärra — transitive: make worse
  • Tagalog: palalain — transitive: make worse
  • Tagalog: palubhain — transitive: make worse
  • Ukrainian: погі́ршувати (pohíršuvaty) — transitive: make worse
  • Ukrainian: погі́ршити (pohíršyty) — transitive: make worse
  • Welsh: gwaethygu — transitive: make worse
  • Asturian: empeorarse — intransitive: get worse
  • Belarusian: пагарша́цца (paharšácca) — intransitive: get worse
  • Belarusian: паго́ршыцца (pahóršycca) — intransitive: get worse
  • Breton: fallaat — intransitive: get worse
  • Bulgarian: влошавам се (vlošavam se) — intransitive: get worse
  • Catalan: empitjorar — intransitive: get worse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 惡化 /恶化 (èhuà) — intransitive: get worse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 變壞 /变坏 (biànhuài) — intransitive: get worse
  • Choctaw: aiyʋbi — intransitive: get worse
  • Czech: zhoršit se — intransitive: get worse
  • Dutch: verergeren — intransitive: get worse
  • Esperanto: plimalboniĝi — intransitive: get worse
  • Finnish: huonontua — intransitive: get worse
  • Finnish: pahentua — intransitive: get worse
  • Galician: empeorar — intransitive: get worse
  • Galician: malvar — intransitive: get worse
  • Georgian: გაუარესება (gauareseba) — intransitive: get worse
  • German: sich verschlechtern — intransitive: get worse
  • German: sich verschlimmern — intransitive: get worse
  • Hungarian: rosszabbodik — intransitive: get worse
  • Icelandic: versna — intransitive: get worse
  • Ingrian: vajeta — intransitive: get worse
  • Italian: peggiorare — intransitive: get worse
  • Japanese: 悪化する (akka suru) — intransitive: get worse
  • Japanese: 悪くなる (waruku naru) — intransitive: get worse
  • Korean: 악화되다 (akhwadoeda) — intransitive: get worse
  • Korean: 악화하다 (akhwahada) — intransitive: get worse
  • Latin: aggravor — intransitive: get worse
  • Latin: peius fio — intransitive: get worse
  • Latin: gravor — intransitive: get worse
  • Portuguese: piorar — intransitive: get worse
  • Portuguese: empiorar — intransitive: get worse
  • Quechua: anchayay — intransitive: get worse
  • Russian: ухудша́ться (uxudšátʹsja) — intransitive: get worse
  • Russian: уху́дшиться (uxúdšitʹsja) — intransitive: get worse
  • Scottish Gaelic: mùth — intransitive: get worse
  • Scottish Gaelic: rach bhuaithe — intransitive: get worse
  • Spanish: empeorarse — intransitive: get worse
  • Spanish: desmejorarse — intransitive: get worse
  • Spanish: peyorar — intransitive: get worse
  • Spanish: peorarse — intransitive: get worse
  • Swedish: förvärras — intransitive: get worse
  • Tagalog: lumala — intransitive: get worse
  • Tagalog: lumubha — intransitive: get worse
  • Uzbek: yomonlashmoq — intransitive: get worse
  • Welsh: gwaethygu — intransitive: get worse