as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way
he tends to perform poorly on standardized tests a poorly drawn figure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
she stayed home because she was feeling poorly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poorly
J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 3 Feb. 2026
Those who do poorly often drop out.
—Esme Murphy, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poorly
Adverb
Weiss Ratings founder, Martin Weiss, added that insurers are often guilty of treating their own customers poorly.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 3 Feb. 2026
Those who do poorly often drop out.
—Esme Murphy, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
—Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poorly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poorly
Adverb
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The party is also expected to fare badly in regional and local elections in May.—
JILL LAWLESS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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Raw eggs were left at room temperature, some cans were badly dented and there was food debris on the can opener.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The rest of us will sit here with Belichick, sick to our stomachs.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
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Now, the fear is getting sick or stuck far from home.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The dialogue sometimes lapses from bad-funny to just bad.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
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And it’s been replaced by the grim reality that this team is one bad-looking MRI away from downright irrelevance.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Kansas City Chiefs had a down season in 2025, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
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Most groups of particles will have a random mix of up and down spins, but the researchers found that a particular kind of particle that has been produced at the collider has often come in pairs with matching spin directions.—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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But his comparison also raises the possibility that before anybody can figure out how to get the AI boom right, something must go horribly wrong.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
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The only one who cares about Pits is her young brother, who was horribly disfigured in a fire and is the target of bullies.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The agency can make administrative decisions, including about visitation, when a patient is in the hospital, but should defer to hospital policies on contacting next of kin when a patient is seriously ill, the guidelines state.—
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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During her first year of college, her mother fell ill with a chronic pulmonary illness and could no longer work, so Corinne took a job in a retail store to support her family.—
Edwidge Danticat,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poorly. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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