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
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
This is the first generation of Americans who are worse off than their parents.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
In France, 60% of respondents said their government’s policies will leave future generations worse off, as did 53% in the United Kingdom and 51% in Germany.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The central bank's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations, released Monday, also found that fewer consumers expect their households' financial situations to be better off a year from now — and a larger share expect to be worse off.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
The Nets are only slightly worse off.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
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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
This is the first generation of Americans who are worse off than their parents.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
In France, 60% of respondents said their government’s policies will leave future generations worse off, as did 53% in the United Kingdom and 51% in Germany.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The central bank's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations, released Monday, also found that fewer consumers expect their households' financial situations to be better off a year from now — and a larger share expect to be worse off.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
The Nets are only slightly worse off.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worse off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worse%20off. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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