Synonyms of worsening

worsening 1 of 2

noun

as in deterioration

Related Words

• deterioration
• weakening
• failing
• fading
• sinking
• degeneration
• decline
• wilting
• languishing
• withering
• regression
• wasting (away)
• relapse

Dissimilar Words

• recovery
• rehabilitation
• healing
• convalescence
• recuperation
• mending
• rehab
• comeback
• revival
• rally
• survival
• resuscitation
• snapback

worsening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of worsen

1

as in deteriorating

to become worse or of less value

the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deteriorating
• crumbling
• declining
• descending
• diminishing
• degenerating
• rotting
• ebbing
• sinking
• decaying
• regressing
• weakening
• devolving
• retrograding
• atrophying
• disintegrating
• sagging
• falling
• reducing
• dwindling
• waning
• going to pot
• receding
• going to seed
• downsizing
• degrading
• slipping
• decomposing
• souring
• undermining
• debilitating
• putrefying
• lessening
• abating
• dilapidating
• corrupting
• spoiling
• moldering
• lagging
• de-escalating
• lowering
• drooping
• failing
• wasting (away)
• languishing
• flagging
• running down
• breaking down
• wilting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improving
• ameliorating
• upgrading
• bettering
• intensifying
• enhancing
• strengthening
• meliorating
• developing
• heightening
• enriching
• progressing
• proceeding
• advancing
• fortifying
• marching

2

as in deepening

to make more severe

the harsh winter only worsened the fuel shortage

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deepening
• intensifying
• aggravating
• complicating
• exacerbating
• amplifying
• magnifying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• alleviating
• relieving
• mitigating
• helping
• improving
• easing
• ameliorating
• allaying
• bettering
• assuaging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of worsening

Noun

Faster diagnosis can help people with early-stage Alzheimer’s qualify for drugs that can modestly slow the worsening of their symptoms. — Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Indonesia has pledged to keep subsidized fuel prices unchanged through 2026, which may strain the budget if oil prices rise again due to supply disruptions or a worsening of military confrontations. — Celestine Iyer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

Troubling statistics While many of Kraepelin’s observations were spot on, his views on the disorder causing inevitable worsening were incorrect. — Matthew Kurtz, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026

The filing is backed by a Phase 3 study that showed the drug resulted in significant improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival over standard chemotherapy, along with delayed worsening of pain and quality of life. — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 23 July 2026

Limited evidence suggests that people with genetic deficiencies of CoQ10 who abruptly stop taking it can experience a worsening of kidney function. — Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 16 June 2026

For example, stopping antidepressants or anxiety medication can lead to severe worsening of the condition or potentially dangerous withdrawals. — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

People with postexertional malaise, the worsening of symptoms following even minor physical or mental exertion, may be at a higher risk for adverse effects from the therapy, Faghy and Putrino point out. — Clarissa Brincat, Scientific American, 1 June 2026

However, the incidents have contributed to a worsening of the mood around Madrid and should also be considered notable for that reason. — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 5 May 2026

Verb

If your neck pain is chronic, worsening or accompanied by other symptoms, that’s a conversation for a doctor or physical therapist, not a problem a vibrating neckband is going to solve. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

But oil revenue has been particularly constrained by theft and pipeline vandalism that has cost the country about $300 billion in recent years, compounding in a worsening security crisis that has hampered the overall economy. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

But the report found that concerns about housing insecurity and crime worsening in Santa Monica are not backed by the data. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Similarly, cyber insurance requirements are also tightening in reaction to a worsening threat landscape. — David Bennett, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

This has led to a shortage of people to operate ferries and other transportation, worsening economic contraction on remote islands. — Lefteris Pitarakis, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Mid-twenty-first-century China could end up looking a lot like the sixteenth-century Ming dynasty, a sclerotic political regime rendered increasingly brittle by worsening social, gender, and generational divides. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

The case accused school officials of unreasonably exposing McNair to the risk of heatstroke, failing to recognize the initial symptoms and inadequately providing medical care and treatment, thus worsening McNair’s condition. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026

But involving others despite the individual’s wishes is appropriate if their condition is worsening, Roeske said. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026