worse
[ wurs ]
/ wɜrs /
adjective, compar. of bad and ill.
noun
that which is worse.
adverb
in a more evil, wicked, severe, or disadvantageous manner.
with more severity, intensity, etc.; in a greater degree.
Origin of worse
before 900; Middle English (adj., adv., and noun); Old English
wiersa (comparative adj.),
wiers (adv.); cognate with Old Norse
verri, Gothic
wairsiza; see
war2
Words nearby worse
worrit,
worry,
worry beads,
worryguts,
worrywart,
worse,
worse for wear,
worsen,
worser,
worset,
worship
Definition for worse (2 of 4)
ill
[ il ]
/ ɪl /
adjective, worse, worst; ill·er, ill·est for 7.
noun
adverb
Origin of ill
1150–1200; Middle English
ill(e) (noun and adj.) < Old Norse
illr (adj.) ill, bad
synonym study for ill
1.
Ill,
sick mean being in bad health, not being well.
Ill is the more formal word. In the U.S. the two words are used practically interchangeably except that
sick is always used when the word modifies the following noun:
He looks sick (
ill );
a sick person. In England,
sick is not interchangeable with
ill, but usually has the connotation of nauseous:
She got sick and threw up.
sick, however, is used before nouns just as in the U.S.:
a sick man.
4. See
bad1.
grammar notes for ill
See
well1.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ill
ill sick1 (see synonym study at the current entry)Definition for worse (3 of 4)
bad
1
[ bad ]
/ bæd /
adjective, worse, worst; (Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.
noun
adverb Informal.
badly: He wanted it bad enough to steal it.
Origin of bad
1
1250–1300; Middle English
badde, perhaps akin to Old English
bæddel hermaphrodite,
bædling womanish man
synonym study for bad
2.
Bad,
evil,
ill,
wicked are closest in meaning in reference to that which is lacking in moral qualities or is actually vicious and reprehensible.
Bad is the broadest and simplest term:
a bad man; bad habits.
Evil applies to that which violates or leads to the violation of moral law:
evil practices.
Ill now appears mainly in certain fixed expressions, with a milder implication than that in evil:
ill will; ill-natured.
Wicked implies willful and determined doing of what is very wrong:
a wicked plan.
usage note for bad
The adjective
bad meaning “unpleasant, unattractive, unfavorable, spoiled, etc.,” is the usual form to follow such copulative verbs as
sound, smell, look, and
taste: After the rainstorm the water tasted bad. The coach says the locker room smells bad. After the copulative verb
feel, the adjective
badly in reference to physical or emotional states is also used and is standard, although
bad is more common in formal writing:
I feel bad from overeating. She felt badly about her friend's misfortune.
When the adverbial use is required, badly is standard with all verbs: She reacted badly to the criticism. Bad as an adverb appears mainly in informal contexts: I didn't do too bad on the tests. He wants money so bad it hurts. See also badly, good.
When the adverbial use is required, badly is standard with all verbs: She reacted badly to the criticism. Bad as an adverb appears mainly in informal contexts: I didn't do too bad on the tests. He wants money so bad it hurts. See also badly, good.
OTHER WORDS FROM bad
bad·ness, nounDefinition for worse (4 of 4)
badly
[ bad-lee ]
/ ˈbæd li /
adverb, worse, worst.
adjective
Origin of badly
usage note for badly
In the sense “very much,”
badly is fully standard:
He needs help badly.
Example sentences from the Web for worse
British Dictionary definitions for worse (1 of 5)
worse
/ (wɜːs) /
adjective
noun
adverb
in a more severe or unpleasant manner
in a less effective or successful manner
Word Origin for worse
Old English
wiersa; related to Old Frisian
werra, Old High German
wirsiro, Old Norse
verri, Gothic
wairsiza
British Dictionary definitions for worse (2 of 5)
badly
/ (ˈbædlɪ) /
adverb worse or worst
adjective
(postpositive) Northern English dialect
ill; poorly
British Dictionary definitions for worse (3 of 5)
ill
/ (ɪl) /
adjective worse or worst
noun
adverb
Word Origin for ill
C11 (in the sense: evil): from Old Norse
illr bad
British Dictionary definitions for worse (4 of 5)
bad
1
/ (bæd) /
adjective worse or worst
noun
adverb
not standard
badly
to want something bad
Derived forms of bad
baddish, adjective badness, nounWord Origin for bad
C13: probably from
bæd-, as the first element of Old English
bǣddel hermaphrodite,
bǣdling sodomite
British Dictionary definitions for worse (5 of 5)
Medical definitions for worse
ill
[ ĭl ]
adj.
Not healthy; sick.
Not normal, as a condition; unsound.
n.
A disease or illness, especially of animals.
Idioms and Phrases with worse (1 of 3)
worse
Idioms and Phrases with worse (2 of 3)
bad
Idioms and Phrases with worse (3 of 3)
ill