Worsen

/ˈwɜːrsən/

Meaning & Definition

verb

to make a situation more difficult or undesirable.

The new policy could worsen the economic challenges faced by small businesses.

to reduce in quality or value.

If we do not address pollution, the quality of air could worsen significantly.

to make or become worse; to deteriorate.

The weather is expected to worsen over the weekend.

to increase in severity or intensity.

His condition began to worsen after the treatment was discontinued.

The word 'worsen' is derived from 'worse' + '-en', a suffix indicating to make or become.

worsen the situation

to make a bad situation worse

worsen over time

to progressively become worse

worsen as time goes on

to deteriorate more and more over time

worse

a comparative form of bad, indicating a lower quality or level

deterioration

the process of becoming progressively worse

decline

a gradual and continuous loss of strength, value, or quality

Get worse

His attitude toward the project just keeps getting worse.

Screw up

If we don't fix this, it's gonna screw up the whole launch.