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worse

Syllabification: (worse)
Pronunciation: /wərs/
Translate worse | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of worse

adjective

  • 2of poorer quality or a lower standard; less good or desirable:the accommodations were awful, and the food was worse
  • more serious or severe:the movement made the pain worse
  • more reprehensible or evil:it is worse to intend harm than to be indifferent
  • [predic. or as complement] in a less satisfactory or pleasant condition; more ill or unhappy:he felt worse, and groped his way back to bed

adverb

  • 2less well or skillfully:the more famous I became the worse I painted
  • more seriously or severely:the others had been drunk too, worse than herself

noun

  • a more serious or unpleasant event or circumstance:the small department was already stretched to the limit, but worse was to follow
  • (the worse) a less good, favorable, or pleasant condition:the weather changed for the worse

Phrases

none the worse for

not adversely affected by:we were none the worse for our terrible experience

or worse

used to suggest a possibility that is still more serious or unpleasant than one already considered, but that the speaker does not wish or need to specify:the child might be born blind or worse

so much the worse for ——

used to suggest that a problem, failure, or other unfortunate event or situation is the fault of the person specified and that the speaker does not feel any great concern about it:if his subjects were unwilling to accept the progress her offered, so much the worse for them

the worse for wear

informal
  • 1damaged by use or weather over time; battered and shabby.
  • 2(of a person) feeling rather unwell, especially as a result of drinking too much alcohol.

worse luck

see luck.

worse off

in a less advantageous position; less fortunate or prosperous.

Origin:

Old English wyrsa, wiersa (adjective), wiers (adverb), of Germanic origin; related to war

worse in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of worse in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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