Verschlimmbesserung

dieNoun

attempt to improve something that makes it worse

English translations

  1. 01

    deterioration

Word details

German meaning
Eine Verbesserung, die sich als Verschlechterung herausstellt.
English meaning
An improvement that turns out to be a deterioration.
Synonym
Verschlimmerung
German example
Die neue Software war eine Verschlimmbesserung.
English example
The new software was a worsening improvement.
Type
Noun
Article
die
Singular Form
die Verschlimmbesserung
Plural Form
die Verschlimmbesserungen

Example sentences with “Verschlimmbesserung”

  1. Das Update war eine echte Verschlimmbesserung. (The update was a real 'worsening-improvement'.)

Frequently asked questions

Is this a real word?

Yes, it is a classic German compound word, often used humorously. It is feminine (die Verschlimmbesserung).