: in a poor condition or manner
British, informal
: somewhat ill : indisposed
feeling poorly
Examples of poorly in a Sentence
Adverb
he tends to perform poorly on standardized tests
Adjective
she stayed home because she was feeling poorly
Recent Examples on the Web
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
In a game that had so many positive moments but ended poorly, Wembanyama was carrying more than the weight of the Cup on his shoulders.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poorly
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Adverb
The approach opens new possibilities for monitoring biodiversity in remote or poorly studied regions where historical data are scarce or nonexistent.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
In a game that had so many positive moments but ended poorly, Wembanyama was carrying more than the weight of the Cup on his shoulders.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
—Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poorly
Cite this Entry
“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poorly. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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