Meaning & use

worse

adjective·Everyday

Of lower quality, more severe, or less satisfactory than something else; the comparative form of 'bad.'

See it in a sentence

The traffic today was even worse than yesterday's rush hour.

His cough got worse after he went out in the cold without a coat.

A note on using this word

Worse is the comparative of both 'bad' and 'ill,' so it can describe declining health as well as declining quality.

Words with a similar meaning

inferior

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

better

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “worse”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.