worsened

verb

past tense of worsen
1
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggravated
to make more severe the harsh winter only worsened the fuel shortage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of worsened Many fire survivors have joined lawsuits against the city of Los Angeles and other entities over missteps that enabled or worsened the fire. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 That's important in late 2026, when PC shipments are down, and component prices have only worsened in recent months. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026 The economic pressure on the island has worsened an already struggling electric grid in Cuba, which has led to several blackouts over the past year. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026 The Obama administration considered scheduling kratom products in 2016, but decided against it after receiving pushback and considering similar concerns while the country’s overdose crisis worsened, LaBelle said. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026 Joe and Nathan’s doomed bromance started off tense, got better over time, and worsened again once Joe found another bro to romance with. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026 Many identified themselves as teachers, noting that pandemic-era disruptions to in-class learning severely worsened reading deficits. — Chris Fusco, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026 The flooding could be worsened if rain is falling at the same time that water levels are rising. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 Shoppers expect inflation to rise even more over the next year, according to a recent University of Michigan consumer survey, while individuals’ view of their financial outlook has worsened. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsened
  1. deteriorated
  2. aggravated
  3. crumbled
  4. intensified
  5. descended
  6. deepened
  7. declined
  8. complicated
Verb
  • The central bank's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations found that consumers expect inflation to be even higher a year from now, while perceptions about their own financial standing deteriorated.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • However, as Germany’s economic problems — slow growth, high inflation, rising energy prices — have worsened, public sentiment toward the newcomers has deteriorated.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • Stribling suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 and was expected to miss 10 weeks, giving him a timeline to return in November, while Kirk aggravated a calf injury early in training camp and is eligible to return Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Alyssa Louise Anderson, the driver of the vehicle, has been arrested and booked into the Canyon County Jail on charges of vehicular manslaughter, aggravated DUI, and leaving the scene of an injury accident, according to online court records.
    — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Prospects of a sequel crumbled in 2019 when the Hollywood Reporter broke news that Lim left the sequel over pay disparity.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • As recruiting migrates from Friday Night Lights to the transfer portal, that old infrastructure has crumbled.
    — Chris Park, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of crumbled
Verb
  • Regulatory activity around the project has intensified rapidly in recent weeks.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • While the aerial war has intensified in recent months, fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line snaking through northern, eastern and southern Ukraine has been virtually deadlocked.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensified
Verb
  • The one who does the best is Teresa with her poofy updo supporting a little crown and a corseted gown that looks like something Bertha Russel would have descended an elaborate staircase wearing.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said data shows at one point the plane descended more than 14,000 feet, or nearly three miles, in under 30 seconds — way faster than normal.
    — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of descended
Verb
  • The pandemic, which emptied offices in 2020, deepened WeWork’s troubles.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • That has made imports more expensive and deepened a longstanding cost of living crisis that sparked nationwide protests last December that the security forces crushed with deadly force.
    — Erika Solomon, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of deepened
Verb
  • Police initially declined to share details about the victim beyond his age and gender to The Times on Thursday night.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Warsh at the start of the summer declined to say whether rates should rise.
    — Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of declined
Verb
  • That not only put him at odds with public opinion, but complicated the lives of fellow Republicans eager to escape a backlash that's making a dire GOP election situation even worse.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And the trade war with Canada has complicated the American seafood industry’s relationship with a country it has long been interconnected with, fishermen said.
    — Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of complicated

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Cite this Entry

“Worsened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worsened. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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