badly

adverb

bad·​ly ˈbad-lē How to pronounce badly (audio)
1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: to a great or intense degree
want something badly
Phrases
badly off for
British
: strongly in need of (something or someone)
It may seem pie in the sky in the current financial climate, but few could argue that for a city of its size and prestige, Edinburgh is badly off for large-scale sports facilities.The Evening News (Edinburgh)
not badly
: fairly or acceptably well
The economy is doing not badly and looks even better than it really is.Tom Teepen
think badly of
: to have an unfavorable or low opinion of (someone or something)
Will you think badly of me if I disagree?

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The previous week, Emily was at a sleepover at Heather’s house with Gretchen, when Gretchen, loosened up by shots of Fireball whiskey, revealed that Tamra once recorded a song, badly, according to Gretchen, with an unnamed boy band star that Gretchen claims Tamra got frisky with. Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025 On the knee-to-knee collision between each team’s superstar, Collier badly rolled her left ankle and was lying on the floor and slapping the court with her hand as Thomas made her drive. Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025 That includes the ones that turn out badly. Sophia Rosenfeld september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025 Also, a tomato can was dented badly enough for a Stop Sale. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for badly

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of badly was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badly. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

badly

adverb
bad·​ly ˈbad-lē How to pronounce badly (audio)
worse
ˈwərs
; worst
ˈwərst
1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: very much
wanted the jeans badly

More from Merriam-Webster on badly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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