progressively worsened

USAGE SUMMARY

"progressively worsened" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe a situation that has gradually become worse over time. For example: "The sick patient's condition progressively worsened despite receiving medical treatment."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

Since then, fighting has progressively worsened, suggesting the picture could be even grimmer.

The New York Times

When Xia made a research visit to the Maudsley psychiatric hospital in south London he spoke to members of staff who regard Penhall as "a kind of soothsayer" for identifying the crisis in mental health care that has progressively worsened over the 15 years since the play was written.

The Guardian

The clinical picture progressively worsened, with episodes of vomiting during headache.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

She stated that her symptoms progressively worsened with decreasing visual acuity.

Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection

The neck pain progressively worsened in intensity and was worse on turning his head to the right side.

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

This injury progressively worsened over 7 days, with pleural thickening detectable by 5 days (not shown) and increased by 7 days, often with areas of discrete pleurodesis.

Clinical and Translational Medicine

Other symptoms were reduced cognitive functions, diffuse and severe livedo reticularis that persisted since she was a young adult (Fig. 1), and severe myalgias and mild stiffness that progressively worsened in the previous years.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

4 human-written examples

As the Lewy body pathology disease progresses, generalised cognitive impairment and dementia progressively worsen, although a fluctuating pattern with intervals of lucidity often persists.

Independent

By this time point, animals also showed progressively worsening sleep abnormalities (Kudo et al. 2011) and progressive reduction in stool frequency (Wang et al. 2012).

Environmental Health Perspectives

They are ruthless, greedy, stupid people who get themselves into a progressively worsening, violent mess.

The Guardian - Film

And doctors caution that for the foreseeable future, diabetes will remain a progressively worsening disease that can cause devastating complications.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "progressively worsened", ensure the context clearly establishes a baseline. This helps the reader understand the extent and impact of the deterioration being described.

Common error

Avoid using "progressively worsened" when the worsening is already implied. For example, instead of saying "the flood damage progressively worsened the situation", consider "the flood damage exacerbated the situation" to avoid redundancy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "progressively worsened" functions as a compound verb phrase indicating a process of gradual deterioration. It combines the adverb "progressively", modifying the verb "worsened", to emphasize the incremental nature of the decline. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

79%

News & Media

16%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "progressively worsened" is a common and grammatically sound way to describe a gradual decline, as verified by Ludwig AI. It's prevalent in scientific and news contexts, signaling a situation's continuous deterioration. While versatile, be mindful of potential redundancy and ensure the context warrants emphasizing the gradual nature of the worsening. Consider alternatives like "steadily deteriorated" or "gradually declined" for nuanced variations. Remember to establish a clear baseline to highlight the extent of the deterioration effectively when using the phrase. Over all, "progressively worsened" is a reliable way to express a situation's downward trend.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

steadily deteriorated

Replaces "worsened" with "deteriorated" and "progressively" with "steadily", suggesting a consistent decline.

gradually declined

Substitutes "progressively worsened" with "gradually declined", emphasizing a slow and continuous reduction.

increasingly deteriorated

Uses "increasingly" instead of "progressively", focusing on the growing intensity of the deterioration.

continually degraded

Employs "continually degraded" to indicate ongoing and worsening quality.

systematically declined

Replaces "progressively" with "systematically", suggesting a methodical and ordered decline.

deteriorated over time

Simplifies the phrase to highlight the deterioration happening as time passes.

spiraled downward

Uses a more metaphorical expression to convey a rapidly worsening situation.

went downhill

An informal way of saying something became worse over time.

devolved gradually

Indicates a slow degradation from a previous state.

degenerated incrementally

Describes a step-by-step decline or decay.

FAQs

How can I use "progressively worsened" in a sentence?

You can use "progressively worsened" to describe a situation, condition, or symptom that has deteriorated gradually over time. For example: "The patient's condition "progressively worsened" despite treatment."

What are some alternatives to the phrase "progressively worsened"?

Alternatives include "steadily deteriorated", "gradually declined", or "increasingly deteriorated", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to use "progressively worsened"?

In some contexts, yes. If the act of worsening already implies a gradual process, using "progressively" might be redundant. Consider whether a simpler verb like "deteriorated" would suffice.

What's the difference between "progressively worsened" and "suddenly worsened"?

"Progressively worsened" implies a gradual decline over time, while "suddenly worsened" indicates an abrupt and unexpected deterioration. The choice depends on the actual course of events you are describing.