Two of my friends are arguing about this.

In other words, does saying "__(a)__ is worse than __(b)__" make the implication that (b) bad as well?

For example, if someone said "smoking cigarettes is worse than smoking weed" does it also imply that smoking weed is also not a good thing?

Obviously, saying "even worse than" would fix this situation, but if someone doesn't specify, what is the the tru™ meaning of this phrase.

you use the phrase “worse than” when you’re comparing two bad things

It doesn't imply that (b) is bad as well, it doesn't even imply that (a) is bad, it is a vague saying.

To say that that (a) and (b) are BOTH bad because you are saying a is worse than b, is the person IMPLYING.
"worse than" is just comparison, that's it. Anything other than that, you're making up in your own head.

Like you said, "smoking cigrattes is worse than smoking weed" is just facts™ and doesn't mean saying it = weed is bad.

"Going to the grocery store at 4 am is worse than going at 2 pm" etc...

Why even use "worse" if it doesn't mean both are bad?

Because thats how we compare things in the english language, sweaty

delete your account, hun

I FORGOT the option that was supposed to say "It doesn't imply anything about the quality of the objects" (the correct answer), guess I'm the illiterate one LOL!

It doesn't imply that either is good nor bad. Only that "b" is not as good as (i.e. "worse than") "a". That is all. Everything else depends entirely on context.

Depends on tone and context. If the stress is on (b) then it implies (b) is something bad, and the fact that (a) is worse is a testament to it's badness.

Doesn't imply anything, just comparison. I guess it's up to the person what they take from it.



(hope i'm right or I'm really ****ed for life)

I agree with you. Poor Bitchcraft

It means A is of a lesser quality than b. It doesn't actually imply what state a or b are actually in relative to everything else. Eg.

I could say that silver is worse than gold. Both are still really good by the fact that they are valuable etc. It is just one is obviously better

I could also say earthquakes are worse than hurricanes but both are still bad by virtue that they are both natural disasters.

So therefore I could say A is worse than B but whether both are good or bad would only be revealed by the properties of what A and B actually are.

In fact, I could also say hurricanes are worse than gold but one is actually good and the other bad.

Id say two bad things?

This. It's merely a comparison between A & B, stating that however good or bad B may be, A is worse.

In that case you would say "not as good as". Bitchcraft is correct. It implies deficiencies on the part of both items being compared.

Flop thread