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worse

adverb · noun

Form of bad , comparative of bad.

Simple meaning

In a less effective or successful or desirable way.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

wurs
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈwɝs

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adverb

  1. comparative of `ill'

    In a less effective or successful or desirable manner

    “He did worse on the second exam.”

  2. Less skillfully.

  3. More severely or seriously.

  4. sentence adverb

    Used to start a sentence describing something that is worse.

noun

  1. That which is worse; something less good.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: (comparative of `ill') in a less effective or successful or desirable manner

Used this way, worse is a common word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It quietly approves while staying precise.

Heard in a sentence
“He did worse on the second exam.”
Emotional tone
Positive
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Common
Connotation
Successful and accomplished
Usage feel
Precise and approving

Usage note

It most often appears in the pattern “worse on …”, which is worth copying when you use it.

Natural pattern: worse on …

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use worse

  • “He did worse on the second exam.”adverb
  • “This road is worse than the first one we took.”adjective

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

far worse

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • get worseverbCompound term

    Deteriorate in health.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

  • worsenverbRelated term

    Grow worse.

  • worsenedadjectiveRelated term

    Changed for the worse in health or fitness.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.