verb · neutral
worsen
UK/ˈwɜːsən/US/ˈwɜːrsən/WOR·sen
Band 5-6speakingtask2
to become or make something worse
Examples
“Delaying repairs will only worsen the damage.”
“The situation could worsen if no action is taken.”
“Traffic conditions worsen during the festival.”
Band 8 sentence
“Without decisive intervention, economic inequality will worsen and undermine social cohesion.”
Collocations
- worsen the situation
- worsen over time
Word family
worsen verbworsens verb (3rd sg)worsening verb / noun (gerund)worsened verb (past / past participle)
Common mistakes
to make worse the situation→worsen the situation
worsenning the problem→worsening the problem
Say it for a higher band
5get worse→6deteriorate→7+worsen
Synonyms
aggravate
deteriorate
Easily confused
deteriorate
“If not treated, the patient's condition may deteriorate rapidly.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In -en
Learn it with its set