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Webster 1913 Edition
Worse
Worse
,Adj.
com
of par.
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. värre
, Dan. värre
, Goth. waírsiza
, 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.
Or
worse
, if men worse
can devise. Chaucer.
[She] was nothing bettered, but rather grew
worse
. Mark v. 26.
Evil men and seducers shall wax
worse
and worse
. 2 Tim. iii. 13.
There are men who seem to believe they are not bad while another can be found
worse
. Rambler.
“But I love him.” “Love him?
Worse
and worse
.” Gay.
Worse
,Noun.
1.
Loss; disadvantage; defeat.
“Judah was put to the worse before Israel.” Kings xiv. 12.
2.
That which is worse; something less good;
as, think not the
. worse
of him for his enterpriseWorse
,adv.
[AS. ]
wiers
, wyrs
; akin to OS. & OHG. wirs
, Icel. verr
, Goth, waírs
; a comparative adverb with no corresponding positive. See Worse
, Adj.
In a worse degree; in a manner more evil or bad.
Now will we deal
worse
with thee than with them. Gen. xix. 9.
Worse
,Verb.
T.
[OE.
wursien
, AS. wyrsian
to become worse.] To make worse; to put disadvantage; to discomfit; to worst. See
Worst
, Verb.
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
May serve to better us and
May serve to better us and
worse
our foes. Milton.
Webster 1828 Edition
Worse
WORSE
,Adj.
1.
More evil; more bad or ill; more depraved and corrupt; in a moral sense.Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse. 2 Timothy 3.
There are men who seem to believe they are not bad, while another can be found worse.
2.
In a physical sense, in regard to health, more sick.She was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Mark 5.
3.
More bad; less perfect or good. This carriage is worse for wear.The worse,
1.
The loss; the disadvantage.Judah was put to the worse before Israel. 2 Kings 14.
2.
Something less good. Think not the worse of him for his enterprise.WORSE
,adv.
We will deal worse with thee than with them. Genesis 19.
WORSE
, to put to disadvantage, is not in use. [See Worst.]Definition 2024
worse
worse
English
Adjective
worse
- comparative form of bad: more bad
- Your exam results are worse than before.
- The harder you try, the worse you do.
- More ill.
- She was very ill last week but this week she’s worse.
Translations
comparative form of bad
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Derived terms
Related terms
Adverb
worse
- comparative form of badly: more badly
- 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
- Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
- He drives worse than anyone I know.
-
- comparative form of ill: more ill.
- He's worse-mannered than she is.
- Less skillfully.
- More severely or seriously.
- (sentence adverb) Used to start a sentence describing something that is worse.
- Her leg is infected. Still worse, she's developing a fever.
Verb
worse (third-person singular simple present worses, present participle worsing, simple past and past participle worsed)
- (obsolete, transitive) To make worse; to put at disadvantage; to discomfit.
- (Can we date this quote?) Milton.
- Weapons more violent, when next we meet, / May serve to better us and worse our foes.
- (Can we date this quote?) Milton.
Statistics
Noun
worse
- (obsolete) Loss; disadvantage; defeat.
- Bible, Kings xiv. 12
- Judah was put to the worse before Israel.
- Bible, Kings xiv. 12
- That which is worse; something less good.
- Do not think the worse of him for his enterprise.