WORSENED Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

worsened

verb

past tense of worsen

as in deteriorated

to become worse or of less value the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in aggravated

to make more severe the harsh winter only worsened the fuel shortage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of worsened As conditions worsened overnight, emergency crews sent warnings to evacuate. — Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026 Unusually hot ocean water worsened the sea level rise that peaked during last week’s high tides. — Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026 The thresholds described how much an individual patient’s condition had worsened, a company employee told me; they couldn’t be used to judge the average difference between patients receiving a drug and those receiving a placebo. — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 As Vangie’s condition worsened, however, the job grew tougher, and the strain showed on Ron, who was in his 80s. — Raginee Sudhir Chaurey, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026 In recent weeks, a deepening rift has worsened between El-Sayed and Stevens. — Garrett Downs,dan Mangan, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026 Early in the cycle, Democrats were considered underdogs to retake the Senate, but that sentiment has shifted dramatically in their favor due to a deteriorating political environment for Republicans worsened by the war in Iran. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026 Related work found the same dim night worsened weight gain, glucose control and inflammation in animals on a high-fat diet. — Randy J. Nelson, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026 While turnover worsened sharply after the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage isn't new. — Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsened

Verb

Netanyahu faces an international arrest warrant, experts have accused Israel of genocide, and Israel’s image has further deteriorated with a spike in settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

— Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Medical examinations initially revealed no major injury, but his condition deteriorated.

— Lance B. Fulford, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

Verb

And in 2024, a huge chunk of cliffside near the road collapsed, with onlookers sprinting from the edge as the ground crumbled.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Erin Zapcic, 43, a Medieval Times monarch who reigned for 13 years before her dynasty crumbled, leaned against her 2016 Mazda 3 and studied the concrete castle across the road.

— Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of crumbled

Verb

One day before voters will ultimately choose between them, gubernatorial candidates Byron Donalds and David Jolly descended upon an unlikely battleground — ruby red Polk County, where Democrats are turning out at a higher rate than Republicans.

— Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
This July, some ten thousand people descended on London for the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

— Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of descended

Verb

In addition, CrowdStrike has deepened its partnership with Nvidia in 2026, collaborating on real-time AI security agents that aim to protect data centers and cloud infrastructure.

— Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
El Sayed’s campaign asked Stevens to stay away from his remaining campaign events on Saturday as the two deepened their feud just days ahead of the toss-up Senate race.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of deepened

Verb

But Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, widely viewed as a potential top contender for the position, has declined to pledge not to run.

— Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Aguilar declined to take the rest of the day off but then activated the fire alarm system after the meeting and tried to leave the building.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of declined

Verb

Debates over consciousness have further complicated the conversation about how to regulate AI.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Day’Ron Sharpe’s foul trouble has complicated his impact inside, and the center combination of Sharpe and Wagner has yet to provide a dependable defensive foundation.

— C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of complicated

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“Worsened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worsened. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of worsened

verb

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