: 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
Cynthia Sass, Health, 13 Nov. 2025
Peptide stacking has potential in regenerative and longevity medicine, but using unregulated or poorly studied peptides is still way too premature.
—Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 12 Nov. 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
Your gut poorly absorbs these short-chain carbohydrates.
—Cynthia Sass, Health, 13 Nov. 2025
Peptide stacking has potential in regenerative and longevity medicine, but using unregulated or poorly studied peptides is still way too premature.
—Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 12 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2025.
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