1
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way
I'm afraid you performed quite badly in our last rehearsal
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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
Tesla’s stock is now down about 25% this year, badly underperforming U.S. indexes and by far the worst performance among tech’s megacaps.
—
Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 8 July 2025
Still, Musk's talk of an America Party could reignite investor worries over the fate of the Tesla brand, which was badly damaged after Musk took on a central role in the Trump administration as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 7 July 2025
In October 2022, with the Reds struggling badly for form, Jota and Co. came up against a Manchester City team that would go on to win a historic treble that season.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 July 2025
But the work serving the current populations can be arduous and challenging – demonstrated here as the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) team can be seen springing into action after a rhino reacted badly to anesthesia.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 8 July 2025
Still, Musk's talk of an America Party could reignite investor worries over the fate of the Tesla brand, which was badly damaged after Musk took on a central role in the Trump administration as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 7 July 2025
In October 2022, with the Reds struggling badly for form, Jota and Co. came up against a Manchester City team that would go on to win a historic treble that season.
—Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 July 2025
But the work serving the current populations can be arduous and challenging – demonstrated here as the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) team can be seen springing into action after a rhino reacted badly to anesthesia.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
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The result is a probability number that’s technically valid, but often poorly communicated and easily misinterpreted.—
Jim Foerster,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Her comments were poorly received by Fox, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and other council members who held a press conference the next day to address the allegations.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 June 2025
Adverb
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Unfortunately, this new perspective on my correspondence is not terribly illuminating.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
9 July 2025
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But Metropolis in those days wasn’t terribly violent.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adverb
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Remember, too much of a good thing can turn bad quickly!—
Amber Smith,
Discover Magazine,
3 Apr. 2024
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That started off bad and got better.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2023
Adverb
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While both the House and Senate bills proposed language that was extremely harmful to the pass-through entity community, the final Senate bill passed made significant modifications that will encourage continued investments via pass through entities.—
Lynn Mucenski Keck,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Her long, dark hair was messily waved, hanging past her shoulders like a shawl, while her eyebrows were shaved extremely thin, leaving little room for any expression other than a sly smile.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
Adverb
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Don’t overdo it; a very small amount of concealer is more than enough.—
Laura Solla,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
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The problem with Canadian nationalism is that Canada is very new.—
Stephen Marche,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2025
Adverb
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The tape is incredibly sticky and comes with easy-to-follow directions for styling different necklines and silhouettes.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
7 July 2025
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This framing of the three races proved incredibly influential in fantasy fiction, with Tolkien’s work providing a solid foundation for many, many stories to come.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adverb
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That’s proven to be a fruitful investment for the Yankees, who have primarily rotated Bellinger in the three outfield spots but use him intermittently at first base, too.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
12 July 2025
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Data Residency And Flow Not all data privacy issues are about content—location matters too.—
Khash Kiani,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adverb
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The eight-piece set includes four washcloths, two hand towels, and two bath towels made from 100 percent cotton that’s not only soft and cuddly on the skin, but is also highly absorbent, according to the brand.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
9 July 2025
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But the Cubs have a group of position players who have been highly valued by the baseball industry and work well together by blending youth with experience.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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