schlechter

Schlechter is the comparative form of the German adjective schlecht, meaning bad, poor, or inferior. It is used to compare the quality or condition of one thing with another, as in the sentence Der Film ist schlechter als der andere (The film is worse than the other). In predicative use, schlechter describes a subject that has become worse, for example Die Lage ist schlechter geworden. In attributive use, the ending changes with gender and article, such as eine schlechtere Qualität (a worse quality) or ein schlechterer Zustand (a worse condition).

Etymology and use in German indicate that schlechter is the standard comparative form of schlecht. It is widely employed in everyday speech and writing to convey deterioration or lower quality relative to a reference point. The related superlative form is am schlechtesten, meaning the worst.

Schlechter is also a surname. It is of Germanic origin and occurs in German-speaking regions and nearby countries. As a surname, it may have originated from a descriptive nickname related to a perceived poor quality or misfortune associated with an ancestor, a common pattern in European naming practices. Variants of the name appear in historical records across Central Europe.

Notable individuals with the surname Schlechter include Theodor Schlechter (1872–1912), an Austrian chess master who was active in the early 20th century. The surname is relatively uncommon, but it appears in historical and contemporary contexts in German-speaking communities.