worsenessn.

a1425 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1869) I. 187 And siþ þe worsnesse of þing is matere of sorewe, man shulde have more sorewe for synne þan for ony oþer þing.

1629 T. Paybody Iust Apologie Gesture of Kneeling ii. iii. 76 The worsenesse stands not, in a respect which is sinfull, but which is accidentally, inconvenient.

1654 W. Towers Atheismus Vapulans 36 We find that there is a lesseness of Entity, a worseness, an Inferiority of Being in some, and a Greater Entity, a more Excellent, and Superiour kind of Being in Others.

1768 J. Wedgwood Let. 21 Nov. in Sel. Lett. (1965) 68 The badness of the roads, and the worseness of the horses kept to travel in them.

1845 J. D. Hooker in L. Huxley Life & Lett. J. D. Hooker (1918) I. 207 The badness of the specimens, the worseness of the published descriptions.

1871 J. Ruskin Fors Clavigera I. v. 23 We will have..no equality..; but recognition of every betterness that we can find, and reprobation of every worseness.

1913 J. Hunter in L. S. Hunter Mem. (1921) 248 He said I was worse than when I came the first time—the worseness due, no doubt, to the strain and worry of last winter.

1939 W. Saroyan Peace it's Wonderful 167 We are the worst writers in the world. We are the very worst. We are the ultimate of worseness.

2013 Sunday Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 14 Apr. 52 You can't objectively say vinyl is better but, like tape distortion, it's a form of worseness that we love.

1655 T. Gibson Syntaxis Mathematica viii. 94 This betternesse and worsenesse is reckoned by Carects and Grains in Gold, and by Peny weights in Silver, and is summed by multiplication of the betternesse or worsenesse in the pound weight, or pound weights of the Ingot.

1711 C. Peyton et al. Let. 25 Apr. in I. Newton Corr. (1975) V. 124 That old Plate is worth about 5s & a farthing per ounce for an abatement must be made of about 6d or 7d per £wt for the worseness of the plate.

1782 in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) (1803) 93 135 The accuracy of these assays was farther confirmed, by nearly the same average of worseness being found upon more than 170000 guineas.

1849 Rep. Commissioners Royal Mint 177 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 1026) XXVIII. 347 Any deterioration or worseness [of the old and light sovereigns] beyond this, may be at once explained by the improvement which was made in the gold trial plate of 1828.

1879 W. A. Browne Merchants' Handbk. i. 15 When the bullion is worse than standard, deduct the worseness from 222, multiply the weight of bullion by the remainder, and divide the product by 222.

1901 W. G. Cordingley Counting-house Guide xix. 373 The weight of the gold found is added to the worseness.

1978 C. E. Challis Tudor Coinage i. 11 Any difference from the standard—any ‘betterness’ above it or ‘worseness’ below it..was carefully recorded.