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
Caruso’s offense was badly needed Tuesday — and could be again later this week, assuming Williams and Mitchell are still unable to go.
—
Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The president seemingly both relates to, and badly needs to rely on, allies who share his predilection for violating laws and human decency.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
Overseas, where the sci-fi genre struggles badly in many markets, Jon Favreau’s big screen adaptation of his hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian posted an opening gross of $63 million through Sunday.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Two platforms done well beat seven platforms done badly.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The president seemingly both relates to, and badly needs to rely on, allies who share his predilection for violating laws and human decency.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
Overseas, where the sci-fi genre struggles badly in many markets, Jon Favreau’s big screen adaptation of his hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian posted an opening gross of $63 million through Sunday.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Two platforms done well beat seven platforms done badly.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
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Perhaps the changes will bode well in Game 5 with their season on the line, but maybe Game 4 would have been different had the Canadiens either started this way or in any different way from the previous two games, which went so poorly for them.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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But the nature of the chat will be greatly determined by how well or how poorly the devised AI persona was shaped.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adverb
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While there are plenty of moments of necessary humor in the story, with Marquis flexing her knack for comic timing, other moments are terribly uncomfortable to grasp.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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The finish is dry and not terribly long.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
28 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
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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.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The club had learned to accept that the 51-year-old is extremely demanding and ambitious, qualities that actually made working with him a challenge at times.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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Donley says that all the evidence presented in court shows that storing this waste in close proximity to homes, schools, and waterways would be extremely harmful to the local population's health and the environment.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Adverb
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Los Angeles County voters will cast ballots Tuesday in two very different races for county supervisor.—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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At least one watchdog group warned the legislation could poke more holes into the property tax base for very large developers across the state, not just the Bears.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2026
Adverb
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Leda opened her mouth and left it open, an incredibly affecting gesture.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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This is a Ritz-Carlton—incredibly refined, but always approachable.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adverb
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Obviously, there's more to it than that, coaching and other factors need to be in place too, but does anyone believe Fernando Mendoza winds up in Bloomington if not for NIL?—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
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There are some more interesting initiatives, too.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Adverb
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Finally, if Anthropic is the third to go public, remember the market will be severely depleted of cash.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
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The explosion appears to have severely damaged the launch structure, LC36, along with the loss of the rocket.—
Space.com Staff,
Space.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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