worsen
verb [I or T] /ˈwɜː.sən/
/ˈwɝː-/ Definition
C1 to become worse or to make something become worse: As the company's financial problems worsened, several directors resigned. The continued supply of arms to the region will only worsen the situation.Deteriorating and making worse worsening /-ɪŋ/ adjective › the country's worsening political situationIn bad condition worsening noun [S] › Rather worryingly, the survey shows a worsening of child health.Deteriorating and making worse
(Definition of worsen verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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You are looking at an entry to do with Deteriorating and making worse, but you might be interested in these topics from the Breaking and damaging topic area:
- Damaging and spoiling
- Destroying and demolishing
- Exploding and erupting
- Fragile and breakable
- Hitting against objects accidentally and colliding
- Hitting and beating
- In bad condition
- Injuring and injuries
- Scratching and rubbing
- Squeezing and grinding
- Tearing and breaking into pieces
- Undamaged, unbroken or in good condition
- Upsetting and destabilizing
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SMART Thesaurus
Synonyms and related words:
- a step backwards idiom
- a turn of the screw idiom
- aggravate verb (MAKE WORSE)
- backslide verb
- be half the dancer, writer, etc. you used to be idiom
- compound verb (WORSEN)
- decline verb (GO DOWN)
- degrade verb (SPOIL)
- downgrade noun
- downgrade verb
- exacerbate verb
- fan the flames idiom
- for the worse idiom
- go off phrasal verb (BECOME WORSE)
- regress verb
- retrograde adjective
- retrogress verb
- run (sth) down phrasal verb (LOSE POWER)
- run yourself down phrasal verb
- seed noun (PLANT)
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