1.
1.
2.
[syn: worse, worsened]
ADVERB (1)
1. (comparative of `ill') in a less effective or successful or desirable manner;
- Example: "he did worse on the second exam"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Worse \Worse\, n.
1. Loss; disadvantage; defeat. "Judah was put to the worse
before Israel." --Kings xiv. 12.
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2. That which is worse; something less good; as, think not
the worse of him for his enterprise.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Worse \Worse\, adv. [AS. wiers, wyrs; akin to OS. & OHG. wirs,
Icel. verr, Goth, wa['i]rs; a comparative adverb with no
corresponding positive. See Worse, a.]
In a worse degree; in a manner more evil or bad.
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Now will we deal worse with thee than with them. --Gen.
xix. 9.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Worse \Worse\, a., compar. of Bad. [OE. werse, worse, wurse,
AS. wiersa, wyrsa, a comparative with no corresponding
positive; akin to OS. wirsa, OFries. wirra, OHG. wirsiro,
Icel. verri, Sw. v[aum]rre, Dan. v[aum]rre, Goth.
wa['i]rsiza, and probably to OHG. werran to bring into
confusion, E. war, and L. verrere to sweep, sweep along. As
bad has no comparative and superlative, worse and worst are
used in lieu of them, although etymologically they have no
relation to bad.]
Bad, ill, evil, or corrupt, in a greater degree; more bad or
evil; less good; specifically, in poorer health; more sick;
-- used both in a physical and moral sense.
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Or worse, if men worse can devise. --Chaucer.
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[She] was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.
--Mark v. 26.
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Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse. --2
Tim. iii. 13.
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There are men who seem to believe they are not bad
while another can be found worse. --Rambler.
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"But I love him." "Love him? Worse and worse." --Gay.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Worse \Worse\, v. t. [OE. wursien, AS. wyrsian to become worse.]
To make worse; to put disadvantage; to discomfit; to worst.
See Worst, v.
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Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
May serve to better us and worse our foes. --Milton.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Bad \Bad\ (b[a^]d), a. [Compar. Worse (w[^u]s); superl.
Worst (w[^u]st).] [Probably fr. AS. b[ae]ddel
hermaphrodite; cf. b[ae]dling effeminate fellow.]
Wanting good qualities, whether physical or moral; injurious,
hurtful, inconvenient, offensive, painful, unfavorable, or
defective, either physically or morally; evil; vicious;
wicked; -- the opposite of good; as, a bad man; bad
conduct; bad habits; bad soil; bad air; bad health; a bad
crop; bad news.
Note: Sometimes used substantively.
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The strong antipathy of good to bad. --Pope.
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Syn: Pernicious; deleterious; noxious; baneful; injurious;
hurtful; evil; vile; wretched; corrupt; wicked; vicious;
imperfect.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
worse
adv 1: (comparative of `ill') in a less effective or successful
or desirable manner; "he did worse on the second exam"
adj 1: (comparative of `bad') inferior to another in quality or
condition or desirability; "this road is worse than the
first one we took"; "the road is in worse shape than it
was"; "she was accused of worse things than cheating and
lying" [ant: better]
2: changed for the worse in health or fitness; "I feel worse
today"; "her cold is worse" [syn: worse, worsened] [ant:
better]
n 1: something inferior in quality or condition or effect; "for
better or for worse"; "accused of cheating and lying and
worse"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
80 Moby Thesaurus words for "worse":
aggravated, altered, amplified, annoyed, augmented, better, broken,
burned, burst, busted, changeable, changed, checked, chipped,
converted, cracked, crazed, cut, damaged, degenerate,
deliberately provoked, deteriorated, deviant, divergent,
embittered, enhanced, enlarged, exacerbated, exasperated, harmed,
heated up, heightened, hotted up, hurt, impaired, imperfect,
improved, in bits, in pieces, in shards, increased, injured,
intensified, irritated, lacerated, magnified, mangled,
metamorphosed, metastasized, modified, mutant, mutilated, provoked,
qualified, rebuilt, reformed, renewed, rent, revived,
revolutionary, ruptured, scalded, scorched, shattered, slashed,
slit, smashed, soured, split, sprung, subversive, the worse for,
torn, transformed, translated, transmuted, unmitigated, weakened,
worse off, worsened