How to Use Worse and Worst

Co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD

Last Updated: February 28, 2023 References Approved

Comparative and superlative statements can be tricky, especially when they sound similar. Using irregular comparatives and superlatives can be difficult, especially when you're used to the "-er" and "-est" rule. To use worse and worst correctly, follow these guidelines.

Things You Should Know

“Worse” is used to compare things, and is often followed by “than” (i.e. “Waking up late is worse than waking early”).
“Worst” is the superlative form of “worse,” and is used to say something is the “most worse” (i.e. “Waking up late is the worst”).
“Worst” comes after the word “the” since there can only be a single “worst” thing in a given category.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Using Worse Correctly

1
Know the definition of worse. Worse means "of a lower quality; less attractive, pleasing, etc; more serious or severe."^{[1]
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Research source} Worse is a form of the word bad.
2
Use worse to compare 2 things. Worse is an example of a comparative adjective. Comparative adjectives are used to compare the characteristics of the objects they modify. They will be used with 2 nouns in a sentence, which include physical objects, concepts, places, and people.^{[2]
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- I think eggplant is worse than boiled cabbage, but that's just my opinion.
- That red dress looks worse on you than the white one.
- Which is worse for your health, smoking or drinking?
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3
Use worse with than. Since worse is a comparative word, it is commonly used with the word than when comparing the 2 nouns. The sentences commonly following the following pattern:^{[3]
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- Noun + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun.
- Winter weather is worse than summer weather.
- One tricky use of worse is when 2 or more objects act as a group noun and you need to refer to them as a single object.
- The car is worse than the other 2 you showed me. In this example, the 2 things being compared are car and the other 2, which functions as one object. There are still 2 things being compared.
4
Use worse to describe something in a state of deterioration. Although this situation commonly only lists one thing, technically speaking, you are still comparing 2 things - one state of being to another. Often, one of these states is implied instead of mentioned outright.
- This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
- I think my handwriting is worse [than it was before].
- I am feeling worse [than I was before]
5
Be aware of the implied comparison. In some sentences, the than is implied. That means there won't be 2 things being compared in the sentence; the second thing will be implied. Look for a combination of “than” along with a noun to spot an implied comparison.
- Bob and Fred are bad drivers, but I think Bob is worse [than Fred].

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Using Worst Correctly

1
Know the definition of worst. Worst means "worse than all the others; least helpful or skillful; most unfavorable or corrupt."^{[4]
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Research source} Worst is a form of the word bad.
2
Use worst to state that one thing is inferior to multiple other things. Worst is a superlative adjective. A superlative adjective is one which is used to denote the extreme highest or lowest out of a group of nouns.^{[5]
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Research source} This is used when comparing 3 or more things.
- Unlike worse, you can’t use worst when only comparing 2 things.
- Dirty diapers smell worse than rotten milk, but week-old fish is the worst of all.
- Math is the worst of all my 5 classes.
3
Understand the -er and -est correlation. Worse and worst correspond to words like colder and coldest.
- Use worse whenever you would use a -er word. The -er is the comparative.
- The weather in Boston is colder than it is in Miami. / The weather in Boston is worse than it is in Miami.
- Use worst whenever you would use a -est word. The -est is the superlative.
- Washington state has the wettest weather in the US. / Washington state has the worst rain in the US.
- The growing intensity scale of the word is: bad - worse - worst. Worst is the most bad and worse is more bad than bad.
- The weather in November is bad, but it's worse in December. The worst weather all winter is in January.
4
Worst comes after the word the. Since worst is used to single out one inferior thing, it always comes after the word the.^{[6]
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- I disagree. Eggplant and boiled cabbage are both vile, but squash is the worst!
- That is the worst cake I have ever tasted.
5
Be aware when the comparison is implied. Use worst to compare something to other things that are implied but not mentioned outright.^{[7]
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- Chartreuse is the worst color [of all].
- He’s the worst person imaginable [in the entire human population].

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Using Worse and Worst in Idioms

1
Say worst case scenario. The phrase worst case scenario points to the extreme negative outcome of a situation. Because it is using an extreme, use worst.
- The reason people say worse case scenario is due to speaking patterns. In many common words, the -t is dropped; therefore, you hear worse case when the person actually means worst case.^{[8]
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2
Use worst comes worst or worse comes to worse. According to modern usage, it is okay to say "if worst comes to worst," "if worse comes to worse," “go from bad to worse,” “take a turn for the worse,” or "if worse comes to worst."^{[9]
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- The idiom was first seen in 1596 as if the worst come to the worst. This meant that the worst case scenario happened. In 1719, Daniel Defoe wrote in Robinson Crusoe, "if the worse came to the worst." This new use of the idiom meant that things are getting worse.^{[10]
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Community Q&A

Question

It is getting "worse," or it is getting "worst." Which one is correct?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Worse.
Question

Is it "at worse" or "at worst"?

Donagan

Top Answerer

At worst.
Question

There's nothing worse/worst than a lazy mother? Which one do you use?

Community Answer

Worse. Before "than," it's always "worse." An alternative sentence is, "A lazy mother is the worst kind of parent."