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

About one-third of younger GOP voters said Trump had worsened the country's economic conditions, compared with about 2 in 10 older Republican voters. — Steven Sloan, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026

However, an older study from 2012 found that drinking cold water can worsen achalasia. — Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 8 Nov. 2026

That could prevent a vicious cycle where expectations for high inflation drive behavior that only worsens inflation. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

School enrollment is set to plunge by another 2 million kids by 2030, and education experts say the crisis will be worsened by the deportation of immigrant families with school-age children. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026

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