: in a poor condition or manner
: somewhat ill : indisposed
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
Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
When the main players were on the floor in the first half, the Knicks shot poorly from deep.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Oct. 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
Arizona didn't do as poorly in some specific categories, including the number of adults with mental illness, but access to care and the high prevalence of youth mental illness brought the state's overall rank down to the bottom.
—Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
When the main players were on the floor in the first half, the Knicks shot poorly from deep.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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