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 agreement, announced during a media briefing in Brussels on Friday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, capped off weeks of negotiations between Magyar’s government and the EU to release the crucial funding that is badly needed by Hungary’s slumping economy. —Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026

Sure, teenagers behaving badly in groups is hardly a new thing. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 29 May 2026

Pauley began the season with the Marlins but struggled badly offensively and was demoted earlier this month, before returning to the big league team after Jimenez was sidelined. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026

Given how badly Karen Bass has fumbled as mayor, Raman couldn’t do much worse. —Sal Rodriguez, Daily News, 28 May 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