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
Prosecutors previously presented photos of Chiodo’s badly decomposed body.
—
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
At the time, the property was badly neglected, and the couple set about to rehabilitate the vineyards and cellars.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
Center officials have argued that the repairs are badly needed after years of neglect, and a closure would enable a renovation without disruption of performances.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 May 2026
Watching this revival, I was struck by how badly Willy’s image of success has warped his sons.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
At the time, the property was badly neglected, and the couple set about to rehabilitate the vineyards and cellars.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
Center officials have argued that the repairs are badly needed after years of neglect, and a closure would enable a renovation without disruption of performances.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 May 2026
Watching this revival, I was struck by how badly Willy’s image of success has warped his sons.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
-
Pratt framed both Bass and Raman as representatives of a failing City Hall leadership, arguing Los Angeles had become increasingly unsafe, unaffordable and poorly managed under current leadership.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
7 May 2026
-
Walgreens was performing poorly financially and then-CEO Tim Wentworth decided the giant pharmacy chain needed to close many hundreds — maybe more than 1,000 — of its money-losing stores around the country.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Adverb
-
Not terribly hard, as he’s shown before.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
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Not so coincidentally, Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930, was from Kansas, so Isaacman’s answer to a senator from that state isn’t terribly unexpected.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
8 May 2026
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.—
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
Adverb
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Maine, too, saw its COVID numbers increase dramatically despite extremely high vaccination uptake.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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Even from my extremely suboptimal vantage point in the very front corner of the theater, I was awed by the depth and crispness of the 3D imagery.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Adverb
-
Your co-parent is managing treatment, uncertainty and the very real fear of how this will affect his relationship with his daughter.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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The hearts and minds of Braves players were on Bobby Cox on a sunny evening at Dodger Stadium before the middle game of a three-game series against the Dodgers — a game that meant very little, considering the news of the day.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
10 May 2026
Adverb
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And yes, in 2026, rage coming from either side of the aisle is an incredibly powerful tool for marketing.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
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But there’s something incredibly unnatural about the fast attention of the internet.—
Charlie Harding,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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And Bona, a second-year reserve, got caught too many times reaching in the cookie jar while defending Towns.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
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His next three fixtures are great for many reasons, too.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adverb
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Iran has repeatedly used internet shutdowns during periods of unrest, where access to the global internet is severely restricted or completely cut, making foreign websites and apps unreachable.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
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Conducting a soil test will eliminate the guesswork when choosing the right type and amount of fertilizer for your trees, as using too much fertilizer or the incorrect type can severely damage them.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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