I. adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a situation worsens/deteriorates/gets worse
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Reports from the area suggest the situation has worsened.
be bigger/smaller/worse etc than you had imagined
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The job interview proved to be much worse than I had imagined it would be.
longer/higher/worse etc than usual
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It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.
make things worse/easier/difficult
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Measures to slow down traffic on the main street have actually made things worse.
sb's eyesight gets worse/deteriorates
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Your eyesight gradually deteriorates with age.
sb's hearing gets worse ( also sb's hearing deteriorates )
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The medication seemed to make her hearing get worse.
significantly better/greater/worse etc
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Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
take a turn for the worse/better
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Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
the pain gets worse
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If the pain gets any worse, see your doctor.
things get worse
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As the recession proceeds, things will get worse.
went from bad to worse (= got even worse )
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When she arrived, things just went from bad to worse !
worse off
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The rent increases will leave us worse off.
worse than useless (= not useful, and causing harm or problems )
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It would be worse than useless to try and complain about him.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
even
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And if the show was a success, that would be even worse .
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The operation of set-aside is even worse than the concept.
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Entrepreneurial time is too valuable to spend on frivolous games or, even worse , in killing time on the Internet.
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Looking ahead to the retirement of the baby-boom generation made the prospect even worse .
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So fission power is an even worse idea.
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Gina's latest pick-ups were even worse than her circus friends.
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Sadly, this experience was even worse than the first.
far
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The situation with non-US tuna vessels is far worse , as most of them are operating free of any regulations whatsoever.
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Disrespect of what this country stands for is far worse .
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The traditional, massive unemployment of employable disabled people is far worse than it has ever been.
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To be fair, the explosion now is far worse than anyone could have expected.
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Hopefully you will also be raising money through sponsorship to help selected projects in countries far worse off than our own.
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Police believe the epidemic, as academic experts refer to it, is far worse than the official statistics suggest.
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Humane destruction is not easy to face, but fear of the unknown is often far worse than facing the truth.
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The experience was far worse than that.
much
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But now, much worse than that, she was taking up writing.
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The Minnesota Index did much worse than the broader market.
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The random scattering of seeds, and how much worse , of human souls, appalled her.
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This was much worse than the assault.
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Jezrael wondered how much worse it would have been if Mars were at aphelion.
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But Callisto suffered something much worse .
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Mild confusion Many people suffer from this, and it doesn't have to mean that they will eventually become much worse .
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Nevertheless Mr King says it would be much worse under Labour.
no
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Emilio, no worse than any of the others, nevertheless caught hell most often.
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Fifty-eight percent say they are no worse than their male counterparts.
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We could protest that we're no worse than everyone else.
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But of all the mistakes Quinn made from beginning to end, it was no worse than any other.
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It may be that urban poverty then was no worse than poverty in the country.
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In fact, it was no better and no worse than other Air Force major commands.
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For this all one needs is the assurance that a proof using infinitesimals is no worse than one free of infinitesimals.
■ NOUN
things
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The worse things got for this cheerful pilgrim, the better to enjoy our home comforts.
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But there were worse things than silence.
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There are worse things than being alone.
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But Albert insisted on it, and worse things as well.
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I have heard worse things here.
time
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The Lincolnshire fitters quickly crashed out with an even worse time .
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The prolonged federal government shutdown could not have come at a worse time for businessman Herb Stein.
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The drought could not have come at a worse time for Texas cattle ranchers.
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The guy backing in after us had a worse time with his 52-foot trailer.
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He had made a few calls, but couldn't have chosen a worse time to be setting up a casual liaison.
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What worse time could Armand have chosen to add his own activity to that of Solange?
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For Mr Barak the bombing could not have come at a worse time .
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But it couldn't have come at a worse time , given that their volatile relationship has turned into a horror story.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a fate worse than death
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I knew that Grandma's visit would be a fate worse than death.
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After all, she didn't know him, and a fate worse than death might just be awaiting her.
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It certainly wasn't because he was trying to save her from a Fate Worse than Death.
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There are various Pelagias who are known as penitent harlots or virgin martyrs who died to escape a fate worse than death.
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We've even growled at the horse, and threatened it with a fate worse than death, but to no avail!
better/harder/worse etc still
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And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still , averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
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But perhaps the early evening was better still ?
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He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still , falling in.
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I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still , a snack shop.
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I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still .
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Or better still , make a real talent show instead.
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Or better still , there was the village school practically next door!
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With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
couldn't be better/worse/more pleased etc
for better or (for) worse
▪
The reality is that, for better or worse, the world of publishing has changed.
▪
All five, for better or worse, have received recent votes of confidence from their respective general managers or team presidents.
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And for better or worse, the new interactivity brings enormous political leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost.
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And the consequences could be even more startling, for better or for worse.
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Decisions made in any of these places can hit our pocketbooks and our peace of mind, for better or for worse.
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He has toted the ball and the expectations, for better or worse.
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He was her husband ... for better or worse, he was her husband.
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Medical students in prolonged contact with junior doctors learn attitudes by example, for better or for worse.
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Today we know for better or for worse that cops, like doctors and priests, are merely human.
none the worse/better etc (for sth)
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Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
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I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
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Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
sb's bark is worse than their bite
worse luck
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Bad luck for Venus, worse luck for the 12,000 fans, but hey, what can you do?
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I have to go to secretarial school, worse luck .
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Nearly all gone now, worse luck , and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.
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You're a bad agent and you're worse luck .
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You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
a terrible script and even worse acting
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Conditions in the prison were worse than anything I had seen before.
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Duncan's handwriting is even worse than his sister's.
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I really don't think the situation could be any worse .
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I tried to fix the computer myself, but that just made it worse .
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Stop it Gary, you're worse than the kids!
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The next morning, the weather was much worse , and the team stayed at base camp.
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The traffic is a lot worse after five o'clock.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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His injuries were worse than they would have been if he had been wearing a seat belt.
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I knew that there is no death worse for an eagle than death at the beaks of hooded crows.
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Jack Butler really didn't like the idea that he had been nobbled and worse than that, nobbled by a girl.
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Phillips' problems may be even worse .
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The welfare system, runs this view, makes things worse because it discourages people from working and rewards undesirable behaviour.
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Things could be worse for the McNemars.
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This could only serve to make things worse .
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
bad
▪
These days, a more accurate description is that, despite official assurances, relations are bad and getting worse .
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After that, things went from bad to worse .
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Denying schooling, however, would just make a bad situation worse .
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Matters continued to go from bad to worse .
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On Ithaca, the island where his home was, things had gone from bad to worse .
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a fate worse than death
▪
I knew that Grandma's visit would be a fate worse than death.
▪
After all, she didn't know him, and a fate worse than death might just be awaiting her.
▪
It certainly wasn't because he was trying to save her from a Fate Worse than Death.
▪
There are various Pelagias who are known as penitent harlots or virgin martyrs who died to escape a fate worse than death.
▪
We've even growled at the horse, and threatened it with a fate worse than death, but to no avail!
better/harder/worse etc still
▪
And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still , averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
▪
But perhaps the early evening was better still ?
▪
He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still , falling in.
▪
I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still , a snack shop.
▪
I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still .
▪
Or better still , make a real talent show instead.
▪
Or better still , there was the village school practically next door!
▪
With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
couldn't be better/worse/more pleased etc
for better or (for) worse
▪
The reality is that, for better or worse, the world of publishing has changed.
▪
All five, for better or worse, have received recent votes of confidence from their respective general managers or team presidents.
▪
And for better or worse, the new interactivity brings enormous political leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost.
▪
And the consequences could be even more startling, for better or for worse.
▪
Decisions made in any of these places can hit our pocketbooks and our peace of mind, for better or for worse.
▪
He has toted the ball and the expectations, for better or worse.
▪
He was her husband ... for better or worse, he was her husband.
▪
Medical students in prolonged contact with junior doctors learn attitudes by example, for better or for worse.
▪
Today we know for better or for worse that cops, like doctors and priests, are merely human.
go from bad to worse
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The rail service has gone from bad to worse since it was privatised.
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The schools have gone from bad to worse in this area.
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Things went from bad to worse, and soon the pair were barely talking to each other.
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As 1931 went from bad to worse the possibility of another marriage began to seem her best hope of salvation.
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It went from bad to worse as the heavens opened and turned the circuit into one huge puddle.
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Matters continued to go from bad to worse.
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Matters went from bad to worse.
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On Ithaca, the island where his home was, things had gone from bad to worse.
▪
That they are going from bad to worse.
none the worse/better etc (for sth)
▪
Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
▪
I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
▪
Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
sb's bark is worse than their bite
worse luck
▪
Bad luck for Venus, worse luck for the 12,000 fans, but hey, what can you do?
▪
I have to go to secretarial school, worse luck .
▪
Nearly all gone now, worse luck , and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.
▪
You're a bad agent and you're worse luck .
▪
You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
This movie was bad, but I've seen worse .
III. adverb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ VERB
do
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However, a company could do worse .
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In groping for useful precedents, one could do worse than heed the tale of a man named Sherwood Rowland.
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I knew that he could definitely do worse .
feel
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Repressing your worries and bottling up your feelings will probably make you feel worse .
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I had not felt right since Frank had mentioned wanting to move and I felt worse now.
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That seemed to make him feel worse .
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It was not new to her and this made her feel worse .
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Ironically, those in the throes Of assimilating are likely to feel worse about them-selves than those on Union Street.
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When there was a letter from his father-and there had been only four-he felt worse .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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My foot hurts even worse today.
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No one sings worse than I do.