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 Jack Wolf Westwood Lincoln Riley talks a big game about excelling in the Big Ten, but in losing badly to Oregon and its backup quarterback, USC probably couldn’t win the Pac-12 this year. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Gilbert Villegas pointed out in a recent Chicago Tribune op-ed, Illinois is lagging badly behind other states in permits issued for new housing construction. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 Machchhar was badly injured while trying to fend off the attacker. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 Berry and Martinez must also refrain from talking badly about one another in front of Maceo. — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 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
  • Coach Curt Cignetti was asked after the game how his team could play so poorly for most of three quarters and still pull out a win.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The bet went swimmingly for the house and poorly for its takers.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • Susanna Moore is terribly important to us, more so than any of Hemingway’s gallant girls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Nazis employed the V-2 heavily during this time, but the rocket was not terribly accurate.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of terribly
Adverb
  • Another would be to coat your thumbs with a bad-tasting substance.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
  • Of course, Hole himself isn’t averse to breaking bad, either.
    — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of bad
Adverb
  • Experts attribute the extremely warm ocean temperatures that fueled Rachel, which peaked as a Category 3 hurricane, in part to El Niño.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • All this makes the Home app very easy to use, but extremely underpowered.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adverb
  • The hotel is very grown up, and therefore not exactly relaxing with very young kids (or, at least, not with my kid)—although children are not discouraged.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Thirteen are rated at very high risk or in default, and 23 have no rating from the big agencies, which cuts them from international bond markets.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • Indeed, the diamond was quite an exquisite addition, considering that such gemstones over 10 carats are incredibly rare.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • For now, this perfect mix of burgeoning youth and senior leadership has come together to create an incredibly deep team with big dreams.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of incredibly
Adverb
  • Jaguar’s customers were also aging, and its competition—previously BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, and the like—were going electric, too.
    — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But even with 22 tracks to work with, the sound too often defaults to a similar muted backdrop, which blurs some of the less distinct songs together.
    — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of too
Adverb
  • The movie offered a sly critique of Korea’s rapid urbanization, and introduced the wayward types (bar girls, severely disabled men) that would populate all of Lee’s films.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The wars severely tarnished the United States’ global reputation and left a generation of Americans skeptical that the country could be a force for good in the world.
    — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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