poboljeti

Poboljeti is a verb used in South Slavic languages, notably Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and Montenegrin. It denotes a change toward greater pain or worsening of a condition. It is the perfective counterpart of boljeti, formed with the prefix po- added to the root boljeti, and it implies that the increase in pain or deterioration is realized or completed.

In usage, poboljeti describes an intensification of sensation or a medical condition rather than a general improvement. It is commonly used with parts of the body or with illnesses to indicate that symptoms have intensified or an episode has become more severe. It appears in both spoken and written language, and can describe short-term fluctuations as well as more prolonged worsening.

Morphology and forms: as a perfective verb, poboljeti typically appears in past or future contexts when discussing a change of state. The corresponding imperfective form is boljeti, which describes ongoing or habitual pain without specifying a change in degree. The verb is often used with reflexive or impersonal constructions in everyday speech to convey personal experience of increasing pain.

Etymology and related terms: poboljeti is built from boljeti, the bare verb meaning “to hurt,” with the prefix po- indicating a completed or intensified change. An antonymic or contrasting concept is typically expressed with poboljšati or izlijiječiti, which refer to improvement or recovery rather than worsening.

See also: boljeti; poboljšati; izlječiti.