worsen

verb

wors·​en ˈwər-sᵊn 

worsened; worsening

ˈwərs-niŋ, 

ˈwər-sᵊn-iŋ 

transitive verb

: to make worse

intransitive verb

: to become worse

the weather began to worsen

Synonyms of worsen

• deteriorate
• crumble
• descend
• decline

Examples of worsen in a Sentence

Spending more money is only going to worsen the problem.

the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect

Recent Examples on the Web

Cancellations had been scheduled to increase if the shutdown dragged on and air traffic controller shortages worsened. —Eve Chen, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025

Over the course of the weekend, Kennedy’s condition worsened. —Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025

In the incessant flow of news and opinions we are exposed to, the ratio of information to noise has worsened considerably – exacerbated by polarization. —Jenny Johnson, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2025

For instance, a local coffee shop adjacent to a major federal government office might have experienced substantially less foot traffic during the shutdown, which ultimately cut into its profits, worsening as the shutdown dragged on into November. —Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for worsen

• person
• businessperson
• chairperson
• layperson
• salesperson

Kids Definition

worsen

verb

wors·​en ˈwərs-ᵊn 

worsened; worsening ˈwərs-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become worse

the weather worsened