1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: to a great or intense degree
want something badly
see also:
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 facade of the locomotive was badly mangled and the truck also severely damaged, according to an Associated Press journalist at the scene.
—
ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Where the police may be enlisted to tattle on a Congressperson behaving badly?
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
At the end of March, a teen takeover in Hyde Park badly damaged cars and resulted in one girl facing weapons charges.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
No Premier League side has performed as badly.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
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ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
Where the police may be enlisted to tattle on a Congressperson behaving badly?
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
At the end of March, a teen takeover in Hyde Park badly damaged cars and resulted in one girl facing weapons charges.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
No Premier League side has performed as badly.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badly. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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