WORSE
What does "WORSE" mean?
Of poorer quality or condition; the comparative of bad.
Meanings
- More bad, more unpleasant, or in poorer condition than something else. The weather was worse than the forecast had promised.
- In a more severe, unfavourable, or inferior way. He plays the piano worse than his sister, but with twice the joy.
- That which is more bad or harmful. For better or worse, the decision was made.
Did you know?
- WORSE is the comparative of 'bad' but shares no letters or roots with it - a linguistic patch called suppletion, the same quirk that gives us 'good' to 'better' instead of 'gooder'.
Word origin
From Old English 'wiersa', a comparative built on a Germanic root and used as the comparative of 'yfel' (evil, bad); English keeps this irregular form rather than saying 'badder'.
Remember it
WORSE contains 'worse' the way a bad day contains an even-worse afternoon - just add an E and it slides further down.
A little poem
Each step downhill the word grew terse-
bad, then the curt, cold cliff of worse.
couplet
Wordplay
- Why does 'bad' never become 'badder'? Because things took a turn for the worse instead.
What it teaches
Naming a thing 'worse' admits there was once a better; comparison itself remembers a hope.
Quick facts
What does WORSE mean?
Of poorer quality or condition; the comparative of bad.
Is WORSE a valid word?
Yes — WORSE is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is WORSE?
WORSE has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does WORSE come from?
From Old English 'wiersa', a comparative built on a Germanic root and used as the comparative of 'yfel' (evil, bad); English keeps this irregular form rather than saying 'badder'.
What can WORSE teach us?
Naming a thing 'worse' admits there was once a better; comparison itself remembers a hope.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.