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

When the date starts going badly, Cluely pulls up her amateur painting of a tulip from the internet and tells him to compliment her art. —Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

Milan inherits the brand new Santgiulia arena, which hosted Olympic hockey and will be used for concerts, exhibition and sporting events, while the athletes’ Olympic Village will be turned into housing for 1,700 students, badly needed in a city with 10 universities and an affordable housing crisis. —Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026

And the narrative around this state — high-tax, highly regulated, unfriendly to business — badly needs changing. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026

Walter’s improvement has been necessary, as Barrett has struggled badly in his 10 games since returning from an ankle injury. —Eric Koreen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing badly

• badly off

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