turned for the worse vs turned for the worst

Both phrases are commonly used, but they have different meanings. 'Turned for the worse' is the correct phrase when something has deteriorated or become less favorable. On the other hand, 'turned for the worst' is incorrect in standard English, as 'worst' is a superlative and doesn't fit in this context.

Last updated: March 19, 2024 • 4943 views

turned for the worse

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a negative change or deterioration.

This phrase is used to describe a situation that has become less favorable or has deteriorated.

Examples:

The weather turned for the worse, and it started raining heavily.
His health has turned for the worse since he stopped exercising.
The company's financial situation turned for the worse after the market crash.
The political climate in the country has turned for the worse in recent years.
The relationship between the two countries turned for the worse after the dispute.

Show examples from the web [+]

May 2, 2015 ... “It's a business whose prospects have turned for the worse and there's not much we can do about it,” Buffett said Saturday at his company's ...
Sep 30, 2015 ... It's a business whose prospects have turned for the worse and there's not much we can do about it. [Over the next ten years, the reinsurance ...
a. The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; luck: He decided to travel, and his fortune turned for the worse. b. fortunes The turns of luck in the ...
Sep 7, 2015 ... It's a business whose prospects have turned for the worse and there is not much we can do about it - Warren Buffett (May 2015). In the run up to ...

Alternatives:

deteriorated
became worse
took a turn for the worse
worsened
declined

turned for the worst

This phrase is incorrect in standard English. 'Worst' is a superlative and doesn't fit in this context.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jun 24, 2015 ... But amid poverty and heroin woes, the city of 21,000 has "turned for the worst," Jessica Sayre tells the Washington Post. Her 26-year-old sister, ...
The times have turned for the worst. But let me tell you one thing, There's more to life, more to life than this. I will never give up on you, remember, remember, the ...
Jun 9, 2015 ... “I feel like Chillicothe has turned for the worst,” Jessica Sayre said. “Now they are going to start picking up the pieces, but this town has really ...
... called aqueductal stenosis, which caused the hydrocephalus. Our lives turned for the worst. They told us to abort, that he didn't have a chance at a normal life!

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turned for the worse vs turned for the worst