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
If the Iran war goes badly, the isolationist, anti-Israel wing of the party is likely to steer the GOP’s future.
—
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump has said that the repairs are badly needed, with deterioration including water leaks and damage, as well as an aging HVAC system.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2026
The facade of an apartment building next to it was badly damaged, and cars in the surrounding area were crushed.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
Johnston thinks the administration badly misread the situation from the start.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump has said that the repairs are badly needed, with deterioration including water leaks and damage, as well as an aging HVAC system.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2026
The facade of an apartment building next to it was badly damaged, and cars in the surrounding area were crushed.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
Johnston thinks the administration badly misread the situation from the start.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
-
Davis did himself no favors with anyone with that performance, which anyone with an extensive TV background (which Davis has) should have known would play poorly on a nationwide scale.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The camp is isolated and poorly resourced, and its traditions—including its conception of gender roles—can be painfully rigid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Had something gone terribly, terribly wrong?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Something is terribly wrong in Chicago.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The particles that make up these dark nebulae are of a finite size, and that size is extremely good at absorbing visible light.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
David’s view The voters most keen to talk with political reporters are, typically, extremely engaged in politics.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Although winds will be mostly light, between 5 and 10 mph, the dry air combined with very dry vegetation will result in a continuation of elevated fire danger.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Bartle may have been right, but for some Chiefs fans and stadium developers with billions of public dollars at stake, that state line probably feels very real.—
Elijah Winkler,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In the transfer portal era, making contributions at a championship-caliber program like Ohio State as a true freshman are incredibly rare.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The first thing that struck me was the gold necklace’s incredibly lightweight nature, clocking in at just 25 grams.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Yet a Miami Herald investigation shows that Florida’s Department of Children and Families too often does just the opposite.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
This seafood had been too warm for multiple days.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Israel's Ben Gurion airport has been operating on a severely limited basis throughout the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The study examined the high cost across different family structures, highlighting that rising living expenses have severely squeezed the traditional middle-class budget.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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