made worse

VERB

worsen a situation

Synonyms

WEAK

add insult to injury aggravate exacerbate fan the flames intensify irritate rub salt into the wound twist the knife in the wound worsen

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Agency experts noted that the El Niños of 2015-16 and 2023-24 brought more frequent, deeper and widespread high-tide flooding, a risk made worse after decades of sea level rise.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

In his letter, Andic said the "deeply painful" death of his father had been made worse by having to deal with "the most serious, unjust and unfounded accusation a person can face".

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

This challenge is made worse by gaps in Africa's fossil record, where most discoveries come from a limited number of locations, leaving large areas from this period unexplored.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

The predictable financial underperformance of ESG funds is made worse by higher management fees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

The knot Otto made in the laces when I was trying to escape from Bouain was a convoluted mess, made worse by repeated bathings in river muck.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer