worse: [OE] Worse goes back to prehistoric Germanic *wersizon. This was a comparative formation based on *wers-, which also produced English war and German wirren ‘confuse’. The superlative worst [OE] came from the same base.
worse (adj.)
Old English wiersa, wyrsa "worse," from Proto-Germanic *wers-izon- (cognates: Old Saxon wirs, Old Norse verri, Swedish värre, Old Frisian wirra, Old High German wirsiro, Gothic wairsiza "worse"), comparative of PIE *wers- (1) "to confuse, mix up" (cognates: Old High German werra "strife," Old Saxon werran "to entangle, compound;" see war (n.)). Used as a comparative of bad, evil, ill or as the opposite of better. The adverb is Old English wyrs; the noun is Old English wyrsa. Phrase for better or for worse is attested from late 14c. (for bet, for wers); to change for the worse is recorded from c. 1400.
实用例句
1. He arrived on January 9, disheveled and much the worse for wear.
他是1月9号到的，蓬头垢面，疲惫不堪。来自柯林斯例句
2. I can't think of a worse way to spend my time.
我想不出更糟的消磨时间的办法。来自柯林斯例句
3. Don't let yourself despair; this will only make matters worse.
