worsen

/ˈwɜːsn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɜːrsn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwər-sᵊn/ (ame, mw)

worsen — verb

  • worsenpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • worsenshe / she / it
  • worsenedpast simple
  • worsening-ing form

1. for a bad situation or condition to become more serious or severe; if an event o

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

for a bad situation or condition to become more serious or severe; if an event or action worsens something, it makes that situation or condition more serious, severe, or unpleasant — for example, a headache that worsens over several hours, or an argument that worsens an already tense relationship.

例句

Reema's cough worsened after she returned to the smoky kitchen.

intransitive: health condition worsens

The heavy rain worsened the flooding across the coastal town.

transitive: [cause] worsened [effect]

同義詞
  • deteriorate

    more gradual and often physical (buildings, health, quality); less direct than 'worsen'

  • aggravate

    transitive only; suggests making an existing problem more annoying or severe

  • exacerbate

    formal register; used in medical and political contexts for making an already bad situation worse

反義詞
  • improve

    general opposite; things get better instead of worse

  • ease

    specifically for pain, tension, or difficulty becoming less severe

文法句型

worsen (intransitive) — subject + worsen

worsen + object (transitive) — subject + worsen + object

用法筆記

Frequently used both with and without an object. The intransitive form (e.g., 'the crisis worsened') is more common than the transitive form (e.g., 'they worsened the crisis'). In everyday conversation, 'get worse' is a more natural alternative, especially in informal contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The rain made the situation worsen.
✅The rain worsened the situation.
💡'Make + verb' is incorrect here; use the verb 'worsen' alone, or 'make + adjective' ('make worse').
❌My headache worsened more during the night.
✅My headache worsened during the night.
💡'Worsen' already contains the comparative meaning, so adding 'more' is redundant.