empeoran

Empeoran is the third-person plural form of the present indicative of the Spanish verb empeorar, meaning “they worsen” or “they make something worse.” It is used to describe processes, conditions, or outcomes that become more negative over time and can take either a transitive or intransitive sense, depending on the context.

Etymology and form: Empeorar is formed with the prefix em- (a variant of en- before p) attached to peor, the comparative form of malo meaning “worse.” The verb is regular in the -ar conjugation. Present tense forms include: yo empeoro, tú empeoras, él/ella/usted empeora, nosotros/as empeoramos, vosotros/as empeoráis, ellos/ellas/ustedes empeoran. Empeoran specifically denotes the action performed by a plural subject.

Usage: Empeoran can describe a deterioration of conditions or situations, often with a direct object, as in empeoran las condiciones o empeoran la salud. It can also appear in intransitive sense when referring to a process, as in Las condiciones empeoran con el tiempo. The term is common in journalism, policy discussions, health reporting, and everyday speech to signal negative development or worsening outcomes.

Related terms: The noun empeoramiento denotes the process or result of worsening, while empeorar is the base verb. Antonyms include mejorar, to improve, and terms like deteriorar or agravar describe related but distinct deteriorations. Proper usage depends on whether the subject acts upon an object or simply undergoes a decline.