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
Last Wednesday, Smith left practice holding his leg after being beaten badly by Waddle on a long pass from Tagovailoa.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Or have the guardrails corroded so badly that anyone now faces the prospect of the President’s pen becoming a sword?
—Miles Taylor, Time, 3 June 2025
One elderly woman’s clothing badly caught on fire, Kornfeld said, and the group rolled her body to try to put out the flames.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 3 June 2025
Duran debuted in 2021 at age 24, and struggled badly until 2023 — and that year his season was cut short by an injury to a tendon in his toe that required surgery.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Or have the guardrails corroded so badly that anyone now faces the prospect of the President’s pen becoming a sword?
—Miles Taylor, Time, 3 June 2025
One elderly woman’s clothing badly caught on fire, Kornfeld said, and the group rolled her body to try to put out the flames.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 3 June 2025
Duran debuted in 2021 at age 24, and struggled badly until 2023 — and that year his season was cut short by an injury to a tendon in his toe that required surgery.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
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The Long And Winding Road Margevicius pitched poorly (0-4, 8.25 ERA) at Triple-A Tacoma in 2022 and was released.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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That would be a head-scratching move for the Browns, as Richardson has played poorly since being selected at No. 4 overall by the Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Adverb
-
So, this is a terrible – terribly misguided policy.—
/ CBS News,
CBS News,
1 June 2025
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Walker is not terribly splitty, and the Cardinals committed to giving him consistent playing time.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adverb
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Remember, too much of a good thing can turn bad quickly!—
Amber Smith,
Discover Magazine,
3 Apr. 2024
-
That started off bad and got better.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2023
Adverb
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Stef Stef is extremely mature and grounded in her investigation of the Goon Docks.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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City’s academy has been extremely productive in recent years, with Phil Foden the shining light, but Rico Lewis, James McAtee, Oscar Bobb and O’Reilly are all now established squad players.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Adverb
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Wilkerson said dental procedures are generally very safe.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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King Charles is very sick, and there are reports that succession plans are already underway.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
7 June 2025
Adverb
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Huang held on, and did so through incredibly difficult stretches that included him fighting to keep his job.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Digital search features on platforms like Google aggregate from all posts available, so when Fosgate’s tweets first got popular, the biggest and most available information about her was both transphobic and incredibly cruel.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
31 May 2025
Adverb
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But there are many times when Ait-Nouri resorts to his tricks too readily, with his over-elaboration putting his team in trouble.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
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Similarly, if one person yells loudly during a funeral, other people will, too.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
Adverb
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Orcas are highly social ocean predators that live and travel in groups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2025
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Hamm not only spoke highly of Hendricks, but also pointed to the performance delivered by Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson across the show's seven seasons.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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