to make matters worse

Examples

• All

• The austerity stemming from the ongoing debt crisis in the Eurozone has only made matters worse.

  Academic text (2012)

• To make matters worse, economies of scale don't seem to apply to the nuclear industry.

  Academic text (2012)

• And to make matters worse, someone broke into my office.

  The Academy of Magic (2020)

• This can only make matters worse.

  Casino (1995)

• And to make matters worse, they think that the world has forgotten them.

  Heavens Fall (2006)

• A joint resolution would make matters worse than they are now.

  Academic text (1991)

• But, to make matters worse, it now appears as though someone was filming me as well.

  Notting Hill (1999)

• I know how difficult your situation must be until then, but, please, don't make matters worse.

  Anna Karenina (1997)

• To make matters worse, the house we talked him into buying was overpriced, had mold problems, termites.

  Church Ball (2006)

• After I spilled coffee on my report, to make matters worse, my printer jammed.

Synonyms

A

to aggravate

vsto make matters worse

73 4.6

Make a problem or health condition worse

is the idiomatic alternative used to say things get more difficult

E

to exacerbate

vsto make matters worse

69 8.0

To make a problem or feeling worse

is more general and idiomatic about causing more difficulty

W

to worsen

vsto make matters worse

61 3.9

To make a situation or condition less good

is the idiomatic phrase that expresses the same general idea

A

to add insult to injury

vsto make matters worse

• Informal

12 4.5

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that hurts someone more

is broader, covering any action that makes things more difficult

F

to fan the flames

vsto make matters worse

• Informal

8 7.2

To make an argument or feeling worse by encouraging it

describes a wider act of causing situations to become more difficult

A

to add fuel to the fire

vsto make matters worse

• Informal

7 5.9

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that makes people angrier

is broader and not limited to provoking anger or excitement

E

to exasperate

vsto make matters worse

1 8.9

Make a problem or feeling worse

focuses more broadly on causing situations to become more difficult

P

to pour gasoline on the fire

vsto make matters worse

• Informal

1 7.3

Make a bad situation worse by what you say or do

is the general expression for causing a situation to become more unpleasant

P

to pour fuel on the fire

vsto make matters worse

• Informal

7.3

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something

is the general way to say one action makes things more difficult

W

to worsify

vsto make matters worse

• Informal

9.9

To make something worse

is the common idiomatic way to say a situation becomes more difficult

Antonyms

I

to improve

∞ 1.0

To make something better

A

to ameliorate

11 8.1

To make a bad situation better

How Bad

to ruin

∞ 2.0

to make matters worse

37 4.0

to worsen

61 3.9

to causing trouble

103 3.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology