as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way
he tends to perform poorly on standardized tests a poorly drawn figure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
she stayed home because she was feeling poorly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poorly
Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
By deepening content relevance and restructuring for machine comprehension — while competitors remained vague, promotional, and poorly formatted — this brand became the reference point in its category.
—Aviv Shamny, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
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
Adverb
But with geopolitical tensions rising in the month and overseas conflicts pronounced, not to mention a rise in the unemployment rate and a stagnant inflation reading, mortgage interest rates responded poorly.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
By deepening content relevance and restructuring for machine comprehension — while competitors remained vague, promotional, and poorly formatted — this brand became the reference point in its category.
—Aviv Shamny, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poorly
Adverb
-
Videos of the incident show the vehicle badly damaged and engulfed in flames.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has made the ballroom a priority of his second term, calling it a badly needed given the lack of large event space on the White House grounds.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That leaves a sicker, older, more expensive pool of enrollees, which pushes up premiums for everyone.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, many began calling in sick or quitting entirely.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There are even pillows up to 83% off, like Bedsure’s down-alternative design for back and side sleepers, plus four-piece moistur-wicking bamboo bedding sets under $100.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Some of our stocks bucking Thursday’s down market include Corning , Linde and Costco .—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Bradfords are horribly invasive.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
-
But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Pope usually takes the role of Jesus, carrying a wooden cross, but, last year, Francis, who was gravely ill, sent an aide in his stead.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
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Out of 629 patients who were severely ill, those who received the transfusion in the first seven days had a five-fold lower risk of hospital death or readmission after 30 days.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poorly. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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