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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of badly
The gap is even higher for employees in the technology industry, Bloomberg reports, a sector that’s been badly hit by layoffs in 2026, including at Meta Platforms, Salesforce, and Cisco Systems.
—
John Kell,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
When the commissions did make employment projections, these projections missed badly on the job destruction and creation that did occur, while failing to identify the job occupations and structures that emerged.
—
Michael Bernick,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
That’s where three University of Iowa economists — Robert Forsythe, George Neumann and Forrest Nelson — met for food and beers and kvetching about just how badly the polls had missed the mark on the Michigan Democratic primary the day before, when Jesse Jackson absolutely trounced Michael Dukakis.
—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Microsoft badly needs to merge with OpenAI.
—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
John Kell,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
When the commissions did make employment projections, these projections missed badly on the job destruction and creation that did occur, while failing to identify the job occupations and structures that emerged.
—
Michael Bernick,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
That’s where three University of Iowa economists — Robert Forsythe, George Neumann and Forrest Nelson — met for food and beers and kvetching about just how badly the polls had missed the mark on the Michigan Democratic primary the day before, when Jesse Jackson absolutely trounced Michael Dukakis.
—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Microsoft badly needs to merge with OpenAI.
—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
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Secondly, they were very poorly promoted.
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Another reason some people respond poorly to GLP-1 drugs is because of their genetic makeup.
Adverb
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In forming our union, the founders fell terribly short of the declaration's promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who own property.
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But if the film occasionally threatens to float away into its own inaccessible realm, Camp’s witty, doleful performance grounds it with a human dimension, albeit not a terribly warm one.
Adverb
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In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.
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In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.
Adverb
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Now, multiple residents are left worried about what's to come next week with extremely hot temperatures in the forecast.
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Despite being the fourth largest economy in the world — the home of Hollywood and Silicon Valley — California’s budget is extremely dependent on the state’s most prosperous residents.
Adverb
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Following their arrival, word spread among law enforcement at Kansas City Stadium (aka Arrowhead) that the King and Queen were en route — and the path to the VVIP (yes, very very) entrance was cleared by FBI officials, who kept fans away from the area.
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This could look like a very specific cut of a sleeve of a shirt that nods to that time.
Adverb
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This butter-yellow tunic feels cheerful, airy, and incredibly chic for summer.
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The producers are amazing, the writers are amazing, the director's amazing and Netflix has been nothing but incredibly supportive.
Adverb
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So too did a record 400-million-barrel release from the International Energy Agency’s strategic petroleum reserves – a supply boost that’s still underway.
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The man who made a reputation by doing the impossible with African Cup of Nation wins had too little time to find the magic with Tunisia.
Adverb
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This reliance on ad budgets severely restricts the company in the mind of the market.
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Without that asset, the Heat’s package is severely degraded.
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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