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

Relevance

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
  • A week ago, the Chiefs defense opened so poorly that coordinator Steve Spagnuolo provided a reality check on the sideline in the first quarter.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Even though the score was 27-27 in the fourth quarter and SC's defense seemed to get a stop on a long third down, a trademark poorly timed, and frankly absurd and ridiculous, roughing the passer penalty gave the Ducks a free first down.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • The wish, of course, goes terribly wrong, leading to bloody consequences for Bear, Nikki and their friends.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Fortunately, if no less terribly, there is more to the story, and many of the most compelling scenes have little or nothing to do with Michael.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 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
  • Eco effort D’Inghilterra’s sustainability efforts stand out at Café Romano where the ingredients are local and extremely fresh—the chef likely selected the veggies in your salad from the market that morning.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Arrests near schools or colleges have increased, though enforcement actions on campuses are extremely uncommon.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 6 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
  • The rooms are incredibly cozy, with gas fireplaces, a pull-out couch, and framed images of different landmarks around the Presidio.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • His incredibly sharp eye for talent coupled with strong instincts and deep relationships are a dynamic combination for artist management.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 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 attacks and the air raid alerts that accompany them have severely disrupted life in the city, forcing millions to constantly seek shelter and paralyzing the capital’s businesses and transport networks.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
  • While much of the AI safety debate has centered on losing control of AI, Altman said restricting access to AI too severely in the name of safety could be harmful too.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of severely

Browse Nearby Words

badlands
badly
bad-mouth
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of etiquette

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All