badly

adverb

bad·​ly ˈbad-lē 

1

: in a bad manner

played badly

2

: to a great or intense degree

want something badly

see also:

badly off for not badly think badly of

Synonyms of badly

• poorly
• bad

Examples of badly in a Sentence

He played badly but I played even worse.

The failure reflects badly on the administration.

She wanted the job badly.

I'm badly in need of a vacation.

His fingers were badly frozen.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Dolphins, who badly needed a quarterback, snagged the one who ESPN’s Adam Schefter said was widely regarded, by NFL teams, as the best among those scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026

The Heat are the one team with no obvious direction if things go badly these next six weeks. —Tony Jones, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026

After years of reports detailing how California’s public schools badly lagged those in poor Southern states in teaching kids how to read — especially Mississippi, the poorest state in the nation — the Legislature finally embraced phonics in 2025. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026

Faltering badly only puts more pressure on each remaining game, with no guarantee that the Sharks can make up any lost ground. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing badly

• badly off
• badly off for
• not badly
• think badly of

Rhymes for badly

• gladly
• madly
• sadly
• comradely

Kids Definition

badly

adverb

bad·​ly ˈbad-lē 

worse

ˈwərs

; worst

ˈwərst

1

: in a bad manner

played badly

2

: very much

wanted the jeans badly