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
However, at least one symmetry that’s badly broken today, the electroweak symmetry, was restored at earlier times and higher energies.
—
Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
O’Neill masterminded Nike’s pivot away from wholesale, a move that ended badly when retailers started carrying all of Nike’s competitors instead, and oversaw its women’s business, which never matched its men’s line.
—Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Locklear reflected on why the audience was so drawn to watching the women on the show behave badly.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
The Broncos late in 2024 got badly exposed along the perimeter in the passing game — that Cleveland game on Monday Night Football was wild — while Pat Surtain II was out and a still-young Riley Moss was forced to cover more WR1s.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
O’Neill masterminded Nike’s pivot away from wholesale, a move that ended badly when retailers started carrying all of Nike’s competitors instead, and oversaw its women’s business, which never matched its men’s line.
—Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Locklear reflected on why the audience was so drawn to watching the women on the show behave badly.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
The Broncos late in 2024 got badly exposed along the perimeter in the passing game — that Cleveland game on Monday Night Football was wild — while Pat Surtain II was out and a still-young Riley Moss was forced to cover more WR1s.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
-
That reflects poorly on the players, but Rosenior did not provide any convincing answers.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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The story was plodding, the characters frustrating, and the transitions through time poorly executed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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All told, the destructive flooding killed at least 136 people along a several-mile stretch of the river, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong.—
Jim Vertuno,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Things aren’t going terribly well as of late for the Prius.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
8 Apr. 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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A lot of these fishing tournaments are won by these younger anglers that really haven’t studied the body of water, don’t know it like the older fishermen, but are still extremely successful with the new technology.—
Mike McFeely,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
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The daily afternoon tea in Horizons is also extremely pleasant (don’t skip on the chicken sandwiches, which were more my beat than the scones and jam).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Arthur would have looked very different had another actor played him, according to the filmmaker.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
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Over time, my relationship with my wife has become very difficult.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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But even if monetization doesn’t ultimately come to fruition, the tech YouTube created to identify deepfakes on its platform is necessary, prudent and, as multiple sources stressed, incredibly important to an industry in the midst of technological disruption.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
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That power production has overcome incredibly poor luck so far this season.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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One of the worst things that can happen to a young and evidently talented author is to be lauded too enthusiastically too soon.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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Liverpool, however, have been interested in the past and could present competition for his signature, so too major clubs in Europe.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Advertisement Now in its eighth week, the conflict has severely disrupted global energy markets.—
Gemma Fox,
Time,
19 Apr. 2026
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Cher is again seeking a conservatorship over her son Elijah Blue Allman, alleging that his drug addiction has severely affected his mental health and led to mounting debt.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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