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Webster 1913 Edition


Worse

Worse

,
Adj.
,
com
par.
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.
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 enterprise
.

Worse

,
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
worse
our foes.
Milton.

Webster 1828 Edition


Worse

WORSE

,
Adj.
[This adjective has the signification of the comparative degree, and as bad has no comparative and superlative, worse and worst are used in lieu of them, although radically they have no relation to bad.]
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.
In a manner more evil or bad.
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

  1. comparative form of bad: more bad
    Your exam results are worse than before.
    The harder you try, the worse you do.
  2. More ill.
    She was very ill last week but this week she’s worse.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

Adverb

worse

  1. 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.
  2. comparative form of ill: more ill.
    He's worse-mannered than she is.
  3. Less skillfully.
  4. More severely or seriously.
  5. (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)

  1. (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.

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: isn't · board · associated · #976: worse · safe · main · q

Noun

worse

  1. (obsolete) Loss; disadvantage; defeat.
    • Bible, Kings xiv. 12
      Judah was put to the worse before Israel.
  2. That which is worse; something less good.
    Do not think the worse of him for his enterprise.

Anagrams