Idiom
make matters worse
Meaning
To worsen an already difficult situation or unfavourable set of circumstances, typically by acting rashly, foolishly, or incompetently.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Don't argue with him, it will only make matters worse.”
“He tried to fix the broken pipe himself, but he accidentally made matters worse by flooding the entire kitchen floor.”
“By attempting to justify his previous errors during the board meeting, the manager only made matters worse and further alienated his frustrated colleagues.”
Examples
simple
“Don't argue with him, it will only make matters worse.”
contextual
“He tried to fix the broken pipe himself, but he accidentally made matters worse by flooding the entire kitchen floor.”
complex
“By attempting to justify his previous errors during the board meeting, the manager only made matters worse and further alienated his frustrated colleagues.”
Key words
Related idioms
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated