WORSENED Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

worsened

verb

past tense of worsen

as in deteriorated

to become worse or of less value the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in aggravated

to make more severe the harsh winter only worsened the fuel shortage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of worsened Rasonque cut the risk of death by 60%, and patients went longer before their disease progressed and before pain and quality of life worsened. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 Authorities in Indonesia, meanwhile, are racing to control wildfires that have dramatically worsened air-quality levels even before fire season typically peaks. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026 As his condition worsened, his mother brought him to his grandparents’ house on a busy country road. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026 Conditions at the hotel have worsened in recent months, Yoon said, with food sometimes withheld and guards accused of threatening, beating and choking some of the migrants. — Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 Davis was euthanized due to complications from chronic gastrointestinal issues that worsened recently despite care from the zoo's medical team. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 The officer called a tow truck to help open the car doors, but as temperatures continued to climb and the dogs’ condition worsened, the officer decided there was no time to wait. — Kat Filardi, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 As conditions in Haiti worsened, Cadet ended up graduating from high school and college in the US. — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026 This pollution crisis, first detected 50 years ago, is the result of inadequate wastewater infrastructure and toxic contamination buildup which has worsened dramatically in recent years. — Samhita M Ilango, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsened

Verb

The Associated Press OSLO, Norway -- Crown Prince Haakon visited his father King Harald of Norway on Monday at the hospital, after the king's health deteriorated over the weekend, public broadcaster NRK reported.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Her defense says she was prescribed 13 medications over four months as her mental health deteriorated.

— Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

Verb

Earlier in the week, Prokudin said that Russia has intensified attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which is about 70% under Russian control.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
The legal challenge intensified an unusually public dispute over how AI can be used in warfare and mass surveillance.

— Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of intensified

Verb

Not long afterward, two dozen Border Patrol agents descended on Roosevelt High School as class was getting out, prompting a confrontation in which the agents deployed pepper spray and arrested four people, including a teacher.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
This year, more than 4,200 shows descended on Edinburgh, with artists hailing from 74 countries.

— Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of descended

Verb

The intervention of Allied troops on the White Russian side in the Russian Civil War deepened Bolshevik paranoia, and Bolshevik leaders concluded that hostile powers would always seek to destroy Russia by cultivating internal enemies.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Israel and Greece have deepened defense ties in the last decade.

— Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of deepened

Verb

Trump has declined so far to endorse a successor, opting to keep his cards close ahead of what’s likely to be a bitter race.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
When asked about the lack of any tributes or the evening’s plans to honor Nolan, the Ocean Springs School District declined to comment.

— Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of declined

Verb

The controversy was complicated by the fact that some prominent rabbis had actually met with Galliano before the exhibition was announced and had come away believing that his repentance was sincere, as JTA reported earlier this month.

— Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
College endowments can be complicated, with the money held across hundreds or even thousands of separate funds.

— Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of complicated

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worsened

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“Worsened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worsened. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of worsened

verb

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