worsen
/ˈwəːs(ə)n
/verb
Make or become worse: [no object]: her condition worsened on the flight [with object]: arguing actually worsens the problem (as adjective worsening) the country’s worsening economic situation...
- Drugs reduce the symptoms and prevent the condition worsening while some patients are fitted with pacemakers.
- Taking a sympathetic approach helps while an aggressive one worsens situations.
- Economic indicators started to worsen in September with the increase of fuel prices.
Synonyms
aggravate, exacerbate, make worse, compound, add to, intensify, increase, magnify, heighten, inflame, augment
informal add fuel to the fire/flames, put salt on the wound
deteriorate, degenerate, decline, get/grow/become worse, take a turn for the worse, weaken;
sink, slip, slide, slump, fall off, ebb, wane, lapse, regress, retrogress
informal go downhill, go to pot, go to the dogs, go down the toilet, go down the tubes, hit the skids, nosedive, take a nosedive
Rhymes
- populational
- population biologist
- population biology
- population center
- population centre
- population curve
- population explosion
- population-explosive
- population geneticist
- population genetics
- population group
- population I
- population II
- population III
- populationist
- population pyramid
- majority
- majority calling
- majority carrier
- majority leader
- majority rule
- Majority Socialist
- majority verdict
- majorization
- majorize