Adjacent Words

Worse definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WORSE, a. [This adjective has the signification of the comparative degree, and as bad has no comparative and superlative, worse and worst are used in lieu of them, although radically they have no relation to bad.]
1. More evil; more bad or ill; more depraved and corrupt; in a moral sense.
Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse. 2 Timothy 3.
There are men who seem to believe they are not bad, while another can be found worse.
2. In a physical sense, in regard to health, more sick.
She was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Mark 5.
3. More bad; less perfect or good. This carriage is worse for wear.
The worse,
1. The loss; the disadvantage.
Judah was put to the worse before Israel. 2 Kings 14.
2. Something less good. Think not the worse of him for his enterprise.
WORSE, adv. In a manner more evil or bad.
We will deal worse with thee than with them. Genesis 19.
WORSE, to put to disadvantage, is not in use. [See Worst.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: (comparative of `bad') inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability; "this road is worse than the first one we took"; "the road is in worse shape than it was"; "she was accused of worse things than cheating and lying" [ant: better]
2: changed for the worse in health or fitness; "I feel worse today"; "her cold is worse" [syn: worse, worsened] [ant: better] n
1: something inferior in quality or condition or effect; "for better or for worse"; "accused of cheating and lying and worse" adv
1: (comparative of `ill') in a less effective or successful or desirable manner; "he did worse on the second exam"

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective, comparative of bad or of ill Etymology: Middle English werse, worse, from Old English wiersa, wyrsa; akin to Old High German wirsiro worse Date: before 12th century 1. of more inferior quality, value, or condition 2. a. more unfavorable, difficult, unpleasant, or painful b. more faulty, unsuitable, or incorrect c. less skillful or efficient 3. bad, evil, or corrupt in a greater degree ; more reprehensible 4. being in poorer health ; sicker II. noun Date: before 12th century one that is worse <threatened expulsion and worse> III. adverb, comparative of bad or of ill Date: before 12th century 1. in a worse manner ; to a worse extent or degree 2. what is worse

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., adv., & n. --adj. 1 more bad. 2 (predic.) in or into worse health or a worse condition (is getting worse; is none the worse for it). --adv. more badly or more ill. --n. 1 a worse thing or things (you might do worse than accept). 2 (prec. by the) a worse condition (a change for the worse). Phrases and idioms: none the worse (often foll. by for) not adversely affected (by). or worse or as an even worse alternative. the worse for drink fairly drunk. the worse for wear 1 damaged by use. 2 injured. worse luck see LUCK. worse off in a worse (esp. financial) position. Etymology: OE wyrsa, wiersa f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Worse Worse, n. 1. Loss; disadvantage; defeat. ``Judah was put to the worse before Israel.'' --Kings xiv. 12. 2. That which is worse; something less good; as, think not the worse of him for his enterprise.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Worse Worse, a., compar. of Bad. [OE. werse, worse, wurse, AS. wiersa, wyrsa, a comparative with no corresponding positive; akin to OS. wirsa, OFries. wirra, OHG. wirsiro, Icel. verri, Sw. v["a]rre, Dan. v["a]rre, Goth. wa['i]rsiza, and probably to OHG. werran to bring into confusion, E. war, and L. verrere to sweep, sweep along. As bad has no comparative and superlative, worse and worst are used in lieu of them, although etymologically they have no relation to bad.] Bad, ill, evil, or corrupt, in a greater degree; more bad or evil; less good; specifically, in poorer health; more sick; -- used both in a physical and moral sense. Or worse, if men worse can devise. --Chaucer. [She] was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. --Mark v. 26. Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse. --2 Tim. iii. 13. There are men who seem to believe they are not bad while another can be found worse. --Rambler. ``But I love him.'' ``Love him? Worse and worse.'' --Gay.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Worse Worse, adv. [AS. wiers, wyrs; akin to OS. & OHG. wirs, Icel. verr, Goth, wa['i]rs; a comparative adverb with no corresponding positive. See Worse, a.] In a worse degree; in a manner more evil or bad. Now will we deal worse with thee than with them. --Gen. xix. 9.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Worse Worse, v. t. [OE. wursien, AS. wyrsian to become worse.] To make worse; to put disadvantage; to discomfit; to worst. See Worst, v. Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to better us and worse our foes. --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bad Bad (b[a^]d), a. [Compar. Worse; superl. Worst. ] [Probably fr. AS. b[ae]ddel hermaphrodite; cf. b[ae]dling effeminate fellow.] Wanting good qualities, whether physical or moral; injurious, hurtful, inconvenient, offensive, painful, unfavorable, or defective, either physically or morally; evil; vicious; wicked; -- the opposite of good; as, a bad man; bad conduct; bad habits; bad soil; bad health; bad crop; bad news. Note: Sometimes used substantively. The strong antipathy of good to bad. --Pope. Syn: Pernicious; deleterious; noxious; baneful; injurious; hurtful; evil; vile; wretched; corrupt; wicked; vicious; imperfect.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Worse is the comparative of bad. 2. Worse is the comparative of badly. 3. Worse is used to form the comparative of compound adjectives beginning with 'bad' and 'badly.' For example, the comparative of 'badly off' is 'worse off'. 4. If a situation goes from bad to worse, it becomes even more unpleasant or unsatisfactory. For the past couple of years my life has gone from bad to worse. PHRASE: V inflects 5. If a situation changes for the worse, it becomes more unpleasant or more difficult. The grandparents sigh and say how things have changed for the worse. PHRASE: PHR after v 6. If a person or thing is the worse for something, they have been harmed or badly affected by it. If they are none the worse for it, they have not been harmed or badly affected by it. Father came home from the pub very much the worse for drink... They are all apparently fit and well and none the worse for the fifteen hour journey. PHRASE: PHR after v, PHR n 7. for better or worse: see better

Moby Thesaurus

aggravated, altered, amplified, annoyed, augmented, better, broken, burned, burst, busted, changeable, changed, checked, chipped, converted, cracked, crazed, cut, damaged, degenerate, deliberately provoked, deteriorated, deviant, divergent, embittered, enhanced, enlarged, exacerbated, exasperated, harmed, heated up, heightened, hotted up, hurt, impaired, imperfect, improved, in bits, in pieces, in shards, increased, injured, intensified, irritated, lacerated, magnified, mangled, metamorphosed, metastasized, modified, mutant, mutilated, provoked, qualified, rebuilt, reformed, renewed, rent, revived, revolutionary, ruptured, scalded, scorched, shattered, slashed, slit, smashed, soured, split, sprung, subversive, the worse for, torn, transformed, translated, transmuted, unmitigated, weakened, worse off, worsened