worse off
adjective
1
: having less money and possessions : less wealthy
He was worse off financially than he was before.
2
: in a worse position
If you quit school, you will be worse off.
Examples of worse off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Users would be worse off for it.
—
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
If, however, pet buyers turn to unscrupulous breeders accessed through the internet, dogs and cats will be worse off.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Chicago is worse off for this senseless loss.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Inflation acts as a tax and leaves everyone worse off.
—Howard Schneider, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
People, sports and society are all worse off because of legal gambling, which benefits only a handful of sports books that have rigged the system in their favor and are raking in cash.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Six in 10 believe the country is worse off than last year, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, and a majority think the state of the union is not strong.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
Many of their wins in 2026 have come against teams severely worse off on the injury report.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2026
While the main drivers of gap’s growth are higher building and borrowing costs combined with the need to meet stricter state and federal regulations, city officials say San Diego is worse off than most other large cities.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
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Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
If, however, pet buyers turn to unscrupulous breeders accessed through the internet, dogs and cats will be worse off.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Chicago is worse off for this senseless loss.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Inflation acts as a tax and leaves everyone worse off.
—Howard Schneider, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
People, sports and society are all worse off because of legal gambling, which benefits only a handful of sports books that have rigged the system in their favor and are raking in cash.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Six in 10 believe the country is worse off than last year, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, and a majority think the state of the union is not strong.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
Many of their wins in 2026 have come against teams severely worse off on the injury report.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2026
While the main drivers of gap’s growth are higher building and borrowing costs combined with the need to meet stricter state and federal regulations, city officials say San Diego is worse off than most other large cities.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worse off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worse%20off. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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