badly

adverb

ˈbad-lē How to pronounce badly (audio)
Definition of badlynext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of badly Yet the overriding message of that press conference was how badly the world had treated Angel Reese. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 And some tourists give the rest a bad name by behaving badly, even destructively. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 July 2026 There were no welcome home ceremonies or celebrations, and the heroic veterans were ignored or treated badly. — Tom Strong, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026 So when things go badly inside the opaque world of many private schools, it can be left to parents, police, journalists and amateur sleuths to find and expose wrongdoing. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
  1. poorly
  2. terribly
  3. bad
  4. extremely
  5. very
  6. incredibly
  7. too
  8. severely
Adverb
  • Guardrails, if installed incorrectly or poorly maintained, can kill, rather than save, motorists who crash into them.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
  • Platform-first planning privileges novelty, frequency and short-term engagement—signals that are easy to measure but often poorly aligned with where wealth and decision authority truly reside.
    — Ray Lansigan, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • His game didn't look deplorable in the Scottish Open, just a matter of not hitting it terribly close and not making many putts and then moving on.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • For them, getting their citizenship wasn’t terribly difficult.
    — Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Definition of terribly
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
Definition of bad
Adverb
  • French thrives in Quebec, supported by some extremely assertive language legislation, but the threats of secession in the province are a persistent nuisance.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • And considering Spider-Man's signature suit, the crimson liner felt less like an unexpected beauty choice and more like an extremely intentional reference.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 20 July 2026
Definition of extremely
Adverb
  • And about the rip currents Currents are dangerous and a very real problem on the Gulf Coast, including around the barrier islands where Wells was partying.
    — Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
  • What that means is all that remains to be filled in is a section in the very middle, in Coral Gables along the University of Miami.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • Anya Taylor-Joy looked incredibly chic in a cream one-shoulder top and silky skirt, paired with a blue-and-white scarf.
    — Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
  • Our sense of taste and smell, in particular, can bring forth incredibly strong memories.
    — Grace Reilly, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Definition of incredibly
Adverb
  • Leather ballet flats dress things up without getting too formal.
    — India Roby, Glamour, 16 July 2026
  • Except that the parents themselves are fighting for control too, especially in those early years.
    — Parents, Parents, 16 July 2026
Definition of too
Adverb
  • In the following days, Beretti’s right knee swelled severely, according to her health department complaint.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • With employees bombarded by hundreds of daily notifications and attention spans shrinking to mere seconds, true productivity and complex decision-making are severely hampered.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of severely

Browse Nearby Words

badlands
badly
bad-mouth
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Cite this Entry

“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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