empeorar
empeorar(
ehm
-
peh
-
oh
-
rahr
)An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).
1. (to decline)
a. to get worse
El día ya comenzó mal, y luego empeoró cuando se me rompió la pierna.The day started badly, and then it got worse when I broke my leg.
b. to deteriorate
Su salud sigue empeorando, y los médicos ya no saben qué hacer.Her health continues to deteriorate, and the doctors just don't know what to do.
c. to worsen
Se espera que la calidad del aire empeore durante toda la semana.The air quality is expected to worsen throughout the week.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
2. (to aggravate)
a. to make worse
La visita al psicólogo solo sirvió de empeorar su obsesividad.The visit to the psychologist only served to make his obsessiveness worse.
b. to worsen
Solo empeoras la situación al fingir que todo está bien.You only worsen the situation by pretending that everything is fine.
empeorarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g. Te ves cansado.).
3. (to decline)
a. to worsen
La situación en el país sólo se empeoró bajo el nuevo gobierno.The situation in the country only worsened under the new government.
empeorar
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).
1. (general)
a. to get worse, to deteriorate
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
2. (general)
a. to make worse
Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
Word Roots
Hover on a tile to learn new words with the same root.
Loading roots
Phrases with "empeorar"
Here are the most popular phrases with "empeorar." Click the phrases to see the full entry.
lo contrario de "mejorar" es "empeorar" | the opposite of "mejorar" is "empeorar" |
Examples

Verb Conjugations for empeorar
Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Conditional | Future | |
yo | |||||
tú | |||||
él/ella/Ud. | |||||
nosotros | |||||
vosotros | |||||
ellos/ellas/Uds. |
Explore SpanishDict
We've combined the most accurate English to Spanish translations, dictionary, verb conjugations, and Spanish to English translators into one very powerful search box.
Learn Spanish with Fluencia
Try Fluencia, the new Spanish learning program from SpanishDict.
- Fun and interactive
- Highly effective
- Easy to use
- Works on any device