Peggiorando

Peggiorando is the present participle (gerund) of the Italian verb peggiorare, meaning to worsen or to make worse. It is used to express an ongoing process or a concurrent circumstance and is often combined with the auxiliary stare to form a progressive aspect, as in La situazione sta peggiorando.

Origin and form: Peggiorare derives from the comparative adjective peggiore, which in turn comes from Latin peior. The gerund ends in -ando, in keeping with the standard pattern for -are verbs in Italian.

Usage: The word describes ongoing deterioration across various domains. Examples include La situazione sta peggiorando rapidamente (The situation is worsening rapidly) and Il tempo sta peggiorando (The weather is getting worse). It can also appear in phrases like Peggiorando le condizioni, si è deciso di adottare nuove misure (Worsening conditions led to the adoption of new measures). The noun form peggioramento refers to the general process of worsening.

Related forms and notes: Peggioramento is the common noun meaning “worsening.” Peggiorare is the base verb; migliorare means “to improve,” and peggiorante can function as an adjective or a noun meaning “worsening” (as in fenomeno peggiorante). The gerund peggiorando is typically used to highlight an ongoing tendency or a causative process within a sentence, and it is not used as a stand-alone finite verb form.