: in a poor condition or manner
: somewhat ill : indisposed
Synonyms
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
Isabella Kwai, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
But analysts also attributed the sluggish and poorly coordinated disaster response to Morocco’s constitutional monarchy, in which decision-making is highly centralized and lower-level officials fear taking action without approval from the royal palace.
—Claire Parker, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2023
When a team starts a game poorly, however, the chance to reset can be a blessing.
—Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 13 Sep. 2023
Clients move around and rarely have phones; case managers—a position that generally requires no higher education, license, or specialized training—are poorly paid and often overburdened, though the good ones are heroic and save lives.
—Jennifer Egan, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
The lawsuit also claims an epidural was poorly administered.
—Zinhle Essamuah, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2023
Hard to believe the Chiefs’ season will go as poorly as the Rams’ historically bad 5-12 title defense in 2022 but obviously not an ideal start.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023
Instead, Russia’s ground forces proved to be disorganized, poorly trained, and lacking crucial supply lines, while Russian planes failed to gain control of Ukrainian airspace.
—Zoltan Barany, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2023
Notepad and OneNote are notable examples of applications that react poorly.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Sep. 2023
BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021
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Adverb
The country is administered by two rival governments, complicating rescue and aid efforts, and despite its vast oil resources, its infrastructure had been poorly maintained after more than a decade of political chaos.
—Isabella Kwai, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
But analysts also attributed the sluggish and poorly coordinated disaster response to Morocco’s constitutional monarchy, in which decision-making is highly centralized and lower-level officials fear taking action without approval from the royal palace.
—Claire Parker, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2023
When a team starts a game poorly, however, the chance to reset can be a blessing.
—Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 13 Sep. 2023
Clients move around and rarely have phones; case managers—a position that generally requires no higher education, license, or specialized training—are poorly paid and often overburdened, though the good ones are heroic and save lives.
—Jennifer Egan, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
The lawsuit also claims an epidural was poorly administered.
—Zinhle Essamuah, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2023
Hard to believe the Chiefs’ season will go as poorly as the Rams’ historically bad 5-12 title defense in 2022 but obviously not an ideal start.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023
Instead, Russia’s ground forces proved to be disorganized, poorly trained, and lacking crucial supply lines, while Russian planes failed to gain control of Ukrainian airspace.
—Zoltan Barany, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2023
Notepad and OneNote are notable examples of applications that react poorly.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Sep. 2023
Adjective
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
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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
Phrases Containing poorly
Dictionary Entries Near poorly
Cite this Entry
“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poorly. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
poorly
adjective
poor·ly
ˈpu̇(ə)r-lē,
ˈpō(ə)r-
: somewhat ill
More from Merriam-Webster on poorly
Nglish: Translation of poorly for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of poorly for Arabic Speakers
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