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

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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

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 Miller struggled badly, throwing two interceptions, during Friday’s preseason loss. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 Four homes were badly damaged by the fire and more surrounding buildings had minor damage, according to Salisbury Fire Chief Scott Carrigan. — Riley Rourke, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2026 Stribling’s ascendance has become one of the stories of August for the 49ers, who could badly use another quality player in the starting lineup to complement newcomer Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2026 Farmers are among the hardest hit, with their crops set to be badly affected by soaring temperatures and lack of water. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 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
  • The result is a new technology expense that's both fast-growing and poorly understood.
    — Ameya Kanitkar, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Driscoll and others involved in the mission worried that something far less dramatic could derail it, such as an accidental weapon discharge, an isolated confrontation with a protester or a guardsman caught on camera behaving poorly.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • Supporters of the bill say that type of restriction is terribly outdated.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Having a conversation with Gold House founder Bing Chen isn’t terribly dissimilar from taking an amphetamine.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 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
  • Members of the search-and-rescue team who helped save the friends say the area is extremely treacherous and potentially dangerous even in daylight and perfect conditions.
    — Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Washington Capitals’ system is headlined by the highly creative Cole Hutson and the extremely competitive Ryan Leonard.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adverb
  • Anna’s sheer lace dress with a huge keyhole in the front and an open back is fine but also like a million other dresses; the same goes for Jude’s nicely constructed, but very familiar, black velvet dress with a corset.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Quarterback Tommy DeVito looked to him on a go route on the very next play, but Williams didn’t cut back inside for the ball, which appeared to frustrate Vrabel on the sideline.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • Seattle’s pipeline is incredibly healthy, anchored by a top defense prospect in Chase Reid and a highly skilled pivot in Jake O’Brien.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The combination bristles feel amazing on my scalp (like the best head scratch ever) while also smoothing my incredibly frizzy hair.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of incredibly
Adverb
  • The state senator from Greenwich says Lamont has been too loose with state budget policies and should have generated even more savings to ease Connecticut’s debt burdens.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • That’s not too dissimilar from the path Mattingly took to the field Thursday.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of too
Adverb
  • The Houthis have vowed to close the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway through which Saudi Arabia exports up to 7 million barrels of oil a day, now that access to the Strait of Hormuz is severely restricted.
    — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Lower-income households feel these pressures more severely, since gas represents a larger proportional share of the budget.
    — Catherine Brock, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of severely

Browse Nearby Words

badlands
badly
bad-mouth
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Cite this Entry

“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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