1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: to a great or intense degree
want something badly
Phrases
badly off for
British
: strongly in need of (something or someone)
It may seem pie in the sky in the current financial climate, but few could argue that for a city of its size and prestige, Edinburgh is badly off for large-scale sports facilities.—
The Evening News (Edinburgh)
The Evening News (Edinburgh)
: fairly or acceptably well
The economy is doing not badly and looks even better than it really is.—Tom Teepen
Tom Teepen
: to have an unfavorable or low opinion of (someone or something)
"Will you think badly of me if I disagree?"
Examples of badly in a Sentence
He played badly but I played even worse.
The failure reflects badly on the administration.
She wanted the job badly.
I'm badly in need of a vacation.
His fingers were badly frozen.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Blue Jackets only remained in the playoff race because the other teams around them battling for a playoff spot have been coughing and hacking almost as badly as the Jackets.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
The earthquake could provide both, with a ceasefire – no matter how badly observed – providing a cover for allowing for a national vote.
—Tharaphi Than, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
But the only thing that is wild here is how badly the science supporting fluoridation is being distorted or ignored.
—Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2025
After Westbrook badly missed a transition layup that would have tied the game at 101 with under five minutes remaining, San Antonio scored at the other end to establish a cushion.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
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Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
The earthquake could provide both, with a ceasefire – no matter how badly observed – providing a cover for allowing for a national vote.
—Tharaphi Than, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
But the only thing that is wild here is how badly the science supporting fluoridation is being distorted or ignored.
—Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2025
After Westbrook badly missed a transition layup that would have tied the game at 101 with under five minutes remaining, San Antonio scored at the other end to establish a cushion.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badly. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
badly
adverb
bad·ly
ˈbad-lē 
worse
ˈwərs
; worst
ˈwərst
1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: very much
wanted the jeans badly
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