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
At the wrong side of the stats table, Genie Erokhina struggled badly for Bay Area, going 0-6 and winning just 20% of her points for the weekend.
—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Venezuela's capital, Caracas, was badly damaged in the quake.
—
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Caracas, was badly damaged.
—
Regina Cano Garcia,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
If the coating is peeling, flaking, chipping, or badly scratched, the pan isn't working like it should anymore.
—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Venezuela's capital, Caracas, was badly damaged in the quake.
—
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Caracas, was badly damaged.
—
Regina Cano Garcia,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
If the coating is peeling, flaking, chipping, or badly scratched, the pan isn't working like it should anymore.
—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
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Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced.
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After all, even with the growing demands of an aging population and increases in intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), larger numbers of these jobs are already poorly paid.
Adverb
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Wonderfully and terribly, everything does happen for Maddie after her adoring bear of a husband, Jake (Eric Rahill), makes a cooking video of her that goes massively viral.
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Perhaps the biggest problem with this movie is that Supergirl (Helen Slater) seems terribly leisurely about her fateful mission.
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.
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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.
Adverb
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That restraint also challenges the idea that sauvignon blanc must be extremely aromatic to be recognizable.
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Superconductors can carry electricity with zero resistance, but only at extremely low temperatures.
Adverb
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At age 34, this very well could be the final World Cup for the 2014 Golden Boot winner at the competition.
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Until very recently, children in West Texas public schools were punished, even beaten, for speaking Spanish; today bilingual education is thriving.
Adverb
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Designers of these technologies have to be sensitive to the fact that consumers will invite these tools into their personal lives and homes, meaning that privacy and the scope of what will be collected must be incredibly strict.
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Doing both puts a lot of stress on the brain when temperatures rise, and some people are incredibly sensitive to it.
Adverb
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So too did a record 400-million-barrel release from the International Energy Agency’s strategic petroleum reserves – a supply boost that’s still underway.
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The man who made a reputation by doing the impossible with African Cup of Nation wins had too little time to find the magic with Tunisia.
Adverb
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Atmos is already facing a lawsuit over the explosion from a resident who was severely burned.
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Nearby Elephant Butte Lake, a draw for outdoorsy tourists, is so severely drought-depleted that sunbaked fish carcasses line its shores.
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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