Synonyms of badly

badly

adverb

ˈbad-lē 

1

as in poorly

in an unsatisfactory way

I'm afraid you performed quite badly in our last rehearsal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• poorly
• bad
• horribly
• inadequately
• unsatisfactorily
• terribly
• deficiently
• incorrectly
• wretchedly
• unacceptably
• dreadfully
• lousily
• awfully
• disastrously
• atrociously
• abysmally
• horrendously
• horrifically
• deplorably
• inappropriately
• intolerably
• unbearably
• damnably
• grossly
• miserably
• indecently
• unsuitably
• egregiously
• vulgarly
• execrably
• rottenly
• abominably
• shoddily
• insufficiently
• flagrantly
• shabbily
• vilely
• detestably
• unspeakably
• naughtily
• reprehensibly
• odiously
• meagerly
• scantily
• inferiorly
• sparely
• skimpily
• meanly
• sleazily
• stingily
• trashily
• scantly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• well
• adequately
• fine
• nicely
• satisfactorily
• good
• all right
• acceptably
• correctly
• tolerably
• appropriately
• rightly
• decently
• so-so
• OK
• suitably
• fittingly
• passably
• precisely
• seemly
• exactly
• faithfully
• ideally
• respectably
• palatably
• felicitously
• decorously
• congruously
• meetly
• satisfyingly
• gratifyingly

2

as in terribly

to a great degree

blood donors are badly needed this time of year

Synonyms & Similar Words

• terribly
• extremely
• very
• incredibly
• too
• severely
• highly
• desperately
• so
• damn
• damned
• really
• seriously
• heavily
• greatly
• intensely
• far
• much
• that
• especially
• wildly
• jolly
• most
• super
• particularly
• awfully
• exceptionally
• fantastically
• fiercely
• specially
• immensely
• awful
• real
• full
• such
• fabulously
• mighty
• absolutely
• frightfully
• good and
• hugely
• mortally
• exceedingly
• vitally
• thoroughly
• totally
• sore
• way
• sorely
• supremely
• enormously
• completely
• deeply
• uncommonly
• remarkably
• extra
• wicked
• utterly
• deadly
• vastly
• majorly
• bone
• passing
• achingly
• positively
• colossally
• mightily
• cracking
• eminently
• surpassingly
• dang
• entirely
• significantly
• rattling
• roaring
• archly
• a lot
• whacking
• thumping
• beastly
• ever
• almighty
• filthy
• monstrous
• spanking
• wholly
• roaringly
• considerably
• blisteringly
• corking
• right
• fully
• noticeably
• stinking
• profoundly
• extensively
• radically
• obviously
• unco
• visibly
• substantially
• as all get-out
• purely
• notably
• downright
• markedly
• excessively
• flat-out
• palpably
• appreciably
• plentifully
• plainly
• altogether
• monumentally
• abundantly
• amazingly
• obscenely
• discernibly
• astronomically
• astonishingly
• monstrously
• staggeringly
• overmuch
• grandly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• somewhat
• slightly
• little
• nominally
• negligibly
• just
• barely
• minimally
• hardly
• scarcely
• marginally
• scantily
• meagerly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of badly

The Mets acquired Peralta — along with fellow righty Tobias Myers — in January to bolster a rotation that badly lacked an ace during last year’s second-half collapse. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026

But seeing someone that wants to perform that badly in their body, feeling stuck and not being able to. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026

Half a trillion dollars measures how badly the market wants that to be true. — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

If consumers are inclined to believe a company behaved badly, the distinction between firing and non-renewal disappears. — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026