worsen

1 to become worse or of less value the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect Synonyms atrophy, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, descend, devolve, ebb, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, deteriorateRelated Words abate, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, recede, wane; break down, corrupt, decompose, degrade, dilapidate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy; sour, spoil; lessen, lower, reduce; debilitate, undermine; droop, fail, fall, flag, lag, languish, run down, sag, slip, waste (away), weaken, wiltNear Antonyms better, upgrade; enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen; advance, develop, march, proceed, progressAntonyms ameliorate, improve, meliorate

2 to make more severe the harsh winter only worsened the fuel shortage Synonyms aggravate, complicate, exacerbateRelated Words amplify, deepen, intensify, magnifyNear Antonyms ameliorate, better, improveAntonyms allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, help, mitigate, relieve