peggiorare

to worsen

verb pej-joh-RAH-reh Less Common

Origin: From Late Latin peiorare, from peior (worse).

Also means

to deteriorate

Usage Note

Peggiorare can be both transitive ('to make worse': il freddo peggiora i sintomi) and intransitive ('to get worse': le condizioni sono peggiorate). As an intransitive verb of change of state, it takes essere as auxiliary in compound tenses: la situazione è peggiorata (the situation has worsened). The antonym is migliorare (to improve), which similarly takes essere when intransitive.

Examples

"Le condizioni del paziente sono peggiorate."

Natural Translation

The patient's condition has worsened.

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