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

But a trio of economists, including former IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath, insist that appreciation could worsen Chinese deflation and further reduce demand for foreign goods, exacerbating imbalances. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Artificial intelligence can worsen this by confidently directing attention, causing users to stop searching prematurely if AI's initial answer is plausible but incorrect. — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

The landslide occurred near a mountain, where massive rocks broke loose and crashed onto the worshippers, worsening the disaster. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Delevingne says her psoriasis was worsened by her stressful modeling lifestyle. — Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 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