poorly

1 of 2

adverb

poor·​ly ˈpu̇r-lē How to pronounce poorly (audio)
ˈpȯr-
: in a poor condition or manner
especially : in an inferior or imperfect way : badly
sang poorly

poorly

2 of 2

adjective

: 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
Adverb
To me, the fact that Denver fans have to look to a literary magazine produced in New York for a detailed understanding of how fascinating a player and person Nikola Jokić is reflects poorly not only on the Nuggets’ ownership but on the N.B.A. as a whole. The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 After the script was poorly received by De Laurentiis, Herbert took one last stab at trying to pull it in a less lengthy/slavish direction. Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 In the weeks and months after that costly, pointless election, lawmakers in Sacramento considered ways to overhaul the recall process, which has aged poorly since its conception more than a century ago. Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 While some of these organs may have functioned poorly, evidence has been mounting that a majority of them would have performed well for years. Joshua Mezrich, STAT, 2 Mar. 2024 Voters rate Biden and Trump equally poorly on attributes such as honesty and empathy. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Mar. 2024 Pregnancy can be an extremely stressful experience, and people who don’t take the time and effort to decode their internal feelings and seek ways to behave well tend to behave poorly, lashing out instead of coping with their own vulnerability. Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 Such weapons have been poorly defined in state law but broadly construed in the past to include the sort of swinging batons once popular among police, as well as other wooden clubs, bats and batons. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 To make matters worse, research questions can be poorly formulated, failing to address critical patient pain points. Steve King, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Both the United States and the United Nations have stepped back from leadership roles, a reflection of how poorly interventions in Haiti have gone and also the wide range of issues in other parts of the world at the moment. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Story will be a free agent and at this stage why would an accomplished player stay with the poorly run Rockies? BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poorly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poorly was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near poorly

Cite this Entry

“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poorly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

poorly

adjective
poor·​ly
ˈpu̇(ə)r-lē,
ˈpō(ə)r-
: somewhat ill

More from Merriam-Webster on poorly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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