Peggiora

Peggiora is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Italian verb pegiorare, meaning to become worse or to worsen. It is used to describe a situation, condition, or quality that is currently deteriorating or increasing in severity. For example, La situazione peggiora di giorno in giorno (The situation is getting worse day by day).

Etymology and forms: Peggiorare derives from the adjective peggior- meaning worse, plus the infinitive verb ending -are, following standard Italian verb conjugation. The verb is regular in its conjugation in the present tense. Other present-tense forms include io peggioro, tu peggiori, lui/lei peggiora, noi peggioriamo, voi peggiorate, loro peggiorano. Related nouns include peggioramento (the act or process of worsening) and peggiorativo (adjective meaning worsening or more negative in nuance).

Usage: Peggiora is commonly employed in daily speech, journalism, science, and policy discourse to indicate negative change. It often appears with time markers such as “di giorno in giorno,” “più rapidamente,” or “se non intervengono misure.” It can describe tangible phenomena (un meteo peggiora, la salute peggiora) as well as abstract conditions (l’economia sta peggiorando; la qualità peggiora).

See also: migliorare, peggioramento, peggiorativo.

Notes: In modern Italian, the gradual or progressive counterpart is pegiorando (present participle) or sta peggiorando for ongoing deterioration. The term is neutral and descriptive, and its use tends to emphasize deterioration rather than cause.