1
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way
I'm afraid you performed quite badly in our last rehearsal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terribly
to a great degree
blood donors are badly needed this time of year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of badly
So, perhaps the relationship is not actually doing all that badly.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Oct. 2025
McDaniel made the point that the Dolphins’ defensive line and run defense stiffened somewhat after struggling badly on the first drive.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Bush relied on Cheney as a trusted adviser until the war in Iraq went badly and cost the GOP its congressional majority, whereupon the vice president was largely frozen out of the Oval Office.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
According to him, Laura reacted badly.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Oct. 2025
McDaniel made the point that the Dolphins’ defensive line and run defense stiffened somewhat after struggling badly on the first drive.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Bush relied on Cheney as a trusted adviser until the war in Iraq went badly and cost the GOP its congressional majority, whereupon the vice president was largely frozen out of the Oval Office.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
According to him, Laura reacted badly.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
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The Sabres didn’t play quite as poorly as that 4-0 score indicates.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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The other people Ye tries to big-foot into indulging his perverse Peter Pan complex fare more poorly.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Not terribly long ago, Spanish restaurants were abundant in this part of Manhattan, but a good number have died off in recent years.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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Immediate forgiveness – a message of letting go of the anger that comes with being so terribly wronged – has a familiar sound to those who have been following a frighteningly violent news cycle.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Remember, too much of a good thing can turn bad quickly!—
Amber Smith,
Discover Magazine,
3 Apr. 2024
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That started off bad and got better.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2023
Adverb
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In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
11 Oct. 2025
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Act quickly, as these tickets will be in extremely high demand, and prices may rise.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Elordi treated excited fans to selfies and autographs until the very last second, and del Toro spent much time doing the same to the delight of his fans.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
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In keeping with that, many clear protein powders available online seem to contain no fats and very few carbs (one to two grams), if any at all.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Clarissa has an incredibly high standard, which is just so amazing.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
9 Oct. 2025
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But that means that the world around Indy has to be incredibly precise.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
9 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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On July 14, a jury of 10 women and two men found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the shooting that killed his father-in-law Gary Spohr, 70, and severely wounded his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68, at their home near Lake Tahoe.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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Hamas' top leadership has been assassinated, its fighting capacity severely curbed in Gaza.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Market Pantry was a hit among our editors—not too acidic, not too sweet, but balanced with the right amount of tang.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
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Many international airlines, too, are doing away with separate first-class seating in favor of larger business-class cabins.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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