Standard Lemma guide

worsening

noun · 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.

  • CMU ARPABET: W ER1 S AH0 N IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: W ER1 S N IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A worse situation; an aggravation or deterioration

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

present participle and gerund of worsen

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

changing for the worse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • worried by the worsening storm

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: bettering

4

noun

Meaning 4

changing something with the result that it becomes worse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change of state

Narrower terms: downturn, downswing

5

noun

Meaning 5

process of changing to an inferior state

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deterioration, decline in quality, declension

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decline, diminution

Narrower terms: slump, slack, drop-off, falloff, falling off

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: пагаршэ́нне (paharšénnje) — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Bulgarian: влоша́ване (vlošávane) — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Catalan: empitjorament — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Czech: zhoršení — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Finnish: paheneminen — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Finnish: huononeminen — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • French: aggravation — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Galician: empeoramento — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • German: Verschlechterung — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • German: Verschlimmerung — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Greek: επιδείνωση (epideínosi) — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Greek: χειροτέρευση (cheirotérefsi) — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Italian: aggravamento — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Italian: inasprimento — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Italian: peggioramento — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Macedonian: влошување (vlošuvanje) — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Polish: pogorszenie — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Russian: ухудше́ние (uxudšénije) — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Slovak: zhoršenie — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Spanish: empeoramiento — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Swedish: försämring — worse situation — see also deterioration
  • Ukrainian: погі́ршення (pohíršennja) — worse situation — see also deterioration