Dårligere

Dårligere is the comparative form of the adjective meaning "bad" in Norwegian and Danish. In Norwegian Bokmål the form is dårligere, in Danish it is også dårligere, while in Norwegian Nynorsk the corresponding form is dårlegare. The word is used to describe a higher degree of bad quality or a worse condition in relation to another item.

Grammatically, dårligere (or its dialectal/nynorsk equivalent) functions as a standard comparative adjective. It is typically followed by a comparison marker such as enn or end in the relevant language: Norwegian manuals prefer enn (Denne filmen er dårligere enn den forrige), Danish commonly uses end (Denne film er dårligere end den forrige). The construction is used for both tangible and abstract contrasts, for example quality, performance, or welfare.

Usage notes and nuances: dårligere conveys a direct, objective comparison of quality, rather than mere negative evaluation. In some contexts, speakers may also use related variants or synonyms, such as the adverbial sense of worse (e.g., det går verre in Norwegian), which is not the same as the adjective-based comparative. In nynorsk, dårlegare follows the same comparative logic as dårligere, but with the nynorsk spelling.

Etymology and cognates: the form derives from the Germanic adjective system. Cognates appear in other Scandinavian languages with parallel formations for “worse” or “more bad.” The root word dåleg/dårleg sustains the same semantic field across Bokmål, Nynorsk, and Danish.

See also: dårlig, verifisering of comparisons, norsk grammatikk, dansk grammatikk.