बदतर (badtar)

adjective A comparative adjective meaning 'worse'; used to compare two things where one is more bad than the other.
Sense 1 : worse (more bad, in comparison)
adjective Used with से (se) to mark the thing being compared, e.g. 'X, Y से बदतर है' (X, Y se badtar hai, 'X is worse than Y'). Often paired with बेहतर (behtar, 'better') as its opposite.
Synonyms: ज़्यादा ख़राब (zyaadaa kharaab, more descriptive phrase), बुरा (buraa, not comparative on its own)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word is a Persian-style comparative built from बद (bad, 'bad') plus the comparative suffix -तर (-tar), a pattern you'll also see in words like बेहतर (behtar, 'better') and कमतर (kamtar, 'lesser'). Delhi speakers reach for it in everyday complaints -- about traffic, weather, or a bad day getting even worse -- rather than in formal writing only, so don't think of it as bookish.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to make it agree in gender/number like a regular adjective; it stays invariant regardless of the noun it describes. 2) Confusing बदतर (badtar) with बुरा (buraa) -- बुरा is the plain positive form ('bad'), while बदतर is inherently comparative ('worse') and should not be paired with और (aur, 'more') or ज़्यादा (zyaadaa, 'more') since that meaning is already built in.
Sample Sentences:
आज हालात कल से भी बदतर हैं। Today the situation is even worse than yesterday.
(aaj haalaat kal se bhii badtar hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दिल्ली का ट्रैफिक मुंबई से बदतर है। Delhi's traffic is worse than Mumbai's.
(dillii kaa traiphik mumbaii se badtar hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुमने यह फैसला लिया तो हालात और बदतर हो जाएंगे। If you make this decision, the situation will become even worse.
(agar tumne yah phaislaa liyaa to haalaat aur badtar ho jaaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
पिछले साल बारिश बहुत बदतर थी। Last year's rain situation was much worse.
(pichhle saal baarish bahut badtar thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह चुप रहता तो हालात इससे बदतर न होते। If he had stayed quiet, things wouldn't have gotten worse than this.
(agar vah chup rahtaa to haalaat isse badtar n hote।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
उसकी हालत दिन-ब-दिन बदतर होती जा रही है। His condition is getting worse day by day.
(uskii haalat din-b-din badtar hotii jaa rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पहले से बदतर मत बनाओ इस मामले को। Don't make this matter worse than it already is.
(pahle se badtar mat banaao is maamle ko।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
क्या हो सकता है इससे भी बदतर? What could possibly be worse than this?
(kyaa ho saktaa hai isse bhii badtar?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
आर्थिक मंदी के दौर में गरीबों की स्थिति सबसे बदतर मानी जाती है। During an economic recession, the condition of the poor is considered the worst.
(aarthik mandii ke daur men gariibon kii sthiti sabse badtar maanii jaatii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शायद हालात इससे भी बदतर हो जाएँ, इसलिए तैयार रहो। Things might get even worse, so be prepared.
(shaayad haalaat isse bhii badtar ho jaaen, islie taiyaar raho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उस हादसे के बाद उसकी सेहत बदतर हो गई। After that accident, his health became worse.
(us haadse ke baad uskii sehat badtar ho gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: बदतर (badtar)