- worse
- I UK [wɜː(r)s] / US [wɜrs]
adjective ***
a) more unpleasant or bad than something else or than beforeget worse:Some said they'd never seen a worse film.
worse than:Our performance got worse as the game went on.
something is made worse by something:The injury looked a lot worse than it really was.
worse and worse:The situation was made worse by the rapid growth in population.
The company's financial problems are getting worse and worse.
b) more ill than beforeShe's feeling much worse today.
•(it) could be worse
— used for saying that a situation is better than it might have been, although it is still badCould be worse. At least you didn't lose any money.
make matters/things worse
— used for talking about something that makes a bad situation worseThese new crops are making matters worse by destroying traditional agriculture.
there's nothing worse than (doing) something
— used for talking about things that you dislike very muchThere's nothing worse than feeling ill in a strange place.
See:better I
II UK [wɜː(r)s] / US [wɜrs] adverb *
1) more badlyThey played even worse in the second half.
2) more severelyHis leg seemed to be hurting worse than ever.
•
III UK [wɜː(r)s] / US [wɜrs] nounworse was to come/follow
— used for saying that a bad situation became worseSee:none
English dictionary. 2014.