as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way
he tends to perform poorly on standardized tests a poorly drawn figure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2025
The legislation is poorly conceived and should not become law.
—Maria Gioia, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2025
Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
Story will be a free agent and at this stage why would an accomplished player stay with the poorly run Rockies?
—BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021
See all Example Sentences for poorly 
Adverb
Peters may also hope that, even in an open-seat race, Democrats will benefit from the midterm political environment, which often sees the presidential party fare poorly.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2025
The legislation is poorly conceived and should not become law.
—Maria Gioia, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Both the United States and the United Nations have stepped back from leadership roles, a reflection of how poorly interventions in Haiti have gone and also the wide range of issues in other parts of the world at the moment.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
Story will be a free agent and at this stage why would an accomplished player stay with the poorly run Rockies?
—BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021
See all Example Sentences for poorly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poorly
Adverb
-
In an interview, Mr. Martin said his view was being badly misinterpreted.—
Shane Goldmacher,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Knowing how badly Laine had been struggling with the Montreal Canadiens, coming into the tournament on an eight-game pointless streak, Pennanen had a one-on-one conversation with the mercurial scoring star.—
Arpon Basu,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
And in one case, a person got it from handling sick and or dead birds in a backyard flock.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Dairy farmers with infected herds reported large die-offs of wild birds near their farms before their cows got sick, according to the USDA.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN,
8 Feb. 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
Adjective
-
Heyward had a bounce-back campaign with the Dodgers in 2023 after two down years with the Cubs.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
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Albeit short term, these pressures will likely persist beyond fiscal year 2025, resulting in another down margin year in 2026.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Despite being the first state in the country with a dedicated hospice facility, Connecticut is the only of these three states without robust infrastructure to support seriously ill children and families in their homes.—
Elizabeth Broden,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2025
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And while most people will make a full recovery after falling ill from Bacillus cereus — or not even become ill in the first place when exposed to a small amount — the bacteria can be deadly to vulnerable populations like young children and the elderly as well as those who are immunocompromised.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near poorly
Cite this Entry
“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poorly. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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