worse
gb/wˈɚs/ us/wˈɚs/
A2
English
~ 4500
rosszabb, súlyosabb, rosszabbul, gyengébben, rosszabb helyzet, rosszabbik
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] is worse than [something else]
The weather today is worse than yesterday.
Ma rosszabb az idő, mint tegnap.
Her injury is worse than we first thought.
A sérülése súlyosabb, mint elsőre gondoltuk.
This hotel is worse than the one we stayed in last year.
The traffic here is much worse during rush hour.
Things are only going to get worse if we don't act.
Learner examples
Today is worse than yesterday.
A mai nap rosszabb, mint a tegnapi.
My cold is worse now.
Most rosszabb a megfázásom.
This coffee is worse than that one.
His grades are worse this year.
The movie was worse than I expected.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'worse' and 'worst'. 'Worse' is for comparison between two things; 'worst' is for the superlative among three or more.
Meaning
Of poorer quality or condition
Collocations
get worse
|make worse
|feel worse
|much worse
|far worse
Synonyms
inferior (More formal and less common in everyday speech; often used in technical or evaluative contexts.)
Antonyms
better (Indicates higher quality, improvement, or a more favorable condition.)
Themes
daily life
|comparison
|quality
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not as good as something else; of lower quality or in a worse condition.
Of a lower standard, quality, or condition than something else, often in comparison to another state or time.
B1
2
rosszabbul
A2
gyengébben
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] does [something] worse than [someone/something else]
She sings worse than her sister.
Rosszabbul énekel, mint a lánytestvére.
I drive worse when I'm tired.
Rosszabbul vezetek, amikor fáradt vagyok.
They did worse in the second half of the game.
He plays the piano worse now than before.
This plan will work out worse for everyone.
Learner examples
He runs worse than me.
Rosszabbul fut, mint én.
I cook worse than my friend.
Rosszabbul főzök, mint a barátom.
She dances worse now.
We did worse in the test this time.
My dog behaves worse when it rains.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'more badly' instead of 'worse'; 'worse' is the standard comparative form of 'badly' and 'bad'.
Meaning
To a greater negative degree
Collocations
do worse
|perform worse
|feel worse
|behave worse
Synonyms
less well (Focuses on lack of skill or success rather than general negativity.)
Antonyms
better (Indicates doing something more effectively or successfully.)
Themes
comparison
|performance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In a way that is more bad or unpleasant.
To a greater extent in an undesirable or unfavorable way.
NOUN
B1
3
rosszabbik
B1
Usage pattern:
the worse of [two situations]
If you think this is bad, wait until you see the worse that could happen.
Ha azt hiszed, ez rossz, várd meg, amíg meglátod, mi lehet ennél is rosszabb.
The negotiations took a turn for the worse.
A tárgyalások rosszabbra fordultak.
Between losing my job and getting sick, I can't decide which is the worse fate.
This injury could have been far worse.
For the worse, the storm damaged most of the crops.
Learner examples
The weather took a turn for the worse.
Az idő rosszabbra fordult.
This problem is the worse of the two.
A két probléma közül ez a rosszabbik.
Things are getting worse every day.
I fear the worst will happen.
Losing my wallet was bad, but losing my passport was worse.
Common mistake:
Some learners mistakenly use 'the most bad' instead of 'the worst' when they mean the highest degree; 'worse' is only for comparisons between two states or times.
Meaning
A more serious situation
Collocations
for the worse
|the worse of the two
|fear the worst
Synonyms
decline (Focuses on deterioration over time rather than relative comparison at one moment.)
Antonyms
betterment (Refers to improvement in condition or situation.)
Themes
comparison
|situations
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A situation that is more bad than another one.
A situation, condition, or outcome that is more serious, unpleasant, or harmful than another being compared.
Grammar
Dictionary form
worse
IPA
GB/wˈɚs/
US/wˈɚs/
Syllables & stress
worse (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (worse)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: worse
- Comparative: worser
- Superlative: worsest
Noun
- Base: worse
- Plural: worses
Word family
Expressions
for better or worse
1/fɚ bˈɛtɚ ˈɔɹ wˈɚs/
fixed phrase
No matter if results are good or bad
Used to say that something will happen no matter if it ends well or badly.
Examples
- We are partners, for better or worse.
- For better or worse, this decision will affect us all.
make matters worse
1/mˈeɪk mˈætɚz wˈɚs/
fixed phrase
Cause a bad situation to get even worse
To do something that makes an already bad situation even more bad.
Examples
- Don't say anything now—you'll only make matters worse.
- She was late, and to make matters worse, she forgot her notes.
take a turn for the worse
1/tˈeɪk ə tˈɚn fɚ ðə wˈɚs/
fixed phrase
Suddenly become more serious or unpleasant
To quickly change and become more bad than before.
Examples
- The patient's condition took a turn for the worse overnight.
- Our holiday took a turn for the worse when it started raining nonstop.