ENGLISH
REFERENCE

worsened

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈwɝsənd// UK //wˈɜːsənd// wors·ened

adj. describing something that has become worse or more serious than it was before. You use this to talk about a situation, health, or weather that is now in a poorer state.

adj. having become more severe, intense, or inferior in quality. Participial adjective often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'become' or 'seem'.


SIMPLE

The patient's condition is worsened by the lack of sleep.

CONTEXTUAL

The traffic situation in the city center is worsened by the ongoing construction on the main bridge.

COMPLEX

Economists argue that the regional crisis is worsened by a lack of transparency in the banking sector, which prevents foreign investors from committing long-term capital.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Often follows a linking verb or acts as a past participle in passive constructions.

Pitfall

The weather more worsened todayThe weather worsened todayLearners sometimes treat 'worsened' as a gradable adjective requiring 'more' instead of using it as a simple past tense verb or a completed state.

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