The word "worse" refers to a condition or state that is of lower quality, more severe, or more unpleasant than something else. It is often used to compare two or more situations, indicating that one is significantly less favorable than the other. For example, if you say "This exam was worse than the last one," you imply that the current exam was more difficult or less satisfactory.
The word "worse" comes from the Old English "wors," which is the comparative form of "bad." Its origins can be traced back to Proto-Germanic "wurzō" and further to Proto-Indo-European "wers," meaning "to confuse" or "to mix up."