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.

This problem is made worse by ongoing workforce shortages in transport, warehousing, and public health inspection.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

That includes Iran, which is straining under a historic drought made worse by years of mismanagement, while climate change jacks up temperatures and reduces rainfall.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

This is only made worse by the fact that “everything in North America is so expensive.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 14, 2026

The situation was made worse in April by the arrival of the French republic’s new minister, Edmond Charles Genêt.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy