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
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
But what the harm of dental and orthodontic plastics might be is, as of yet, poorly understood.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poorly
Adverb
Early images of the reworked Oz have gone over poorly with some denizens of the social realm once known as Film Twitter.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
But what the harm of dental and orthodontic plastics might be is, as of yet, poorly understood.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
—Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poorly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poorly
Adverb
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Early studies found that Black residents returned later than others, largely because many lived in flood-prone areas where homes were badly damaged.—
Dian Zhang,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
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So each case may simply come down to: How badly do the big-money donors want the guy gone?—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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About 1 out of every 10 people who get sick with Legionnaires' disease may die because of complications from the illness.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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In Texas’s outbreak, which began in January in a largely unvaccinated population in Gaines County in West Texas, at least 762 people became sick, including the two children who died.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
21 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Remember, too much of a good thing can turn bad quickly!—
Amber Smith,
Discover Magazine,
3 Apr. 2024
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That started off bad and got better.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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Slayton got this contract despite having a down year offensively, which was likely due to the Giants having the 28th-best passing offense in 2024, which saw three separate quarterbacks start a game.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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The Dolphins are looking to bounce back from a down year during the 2024-25 season.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Preliminary information indicates the patient was water skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks days prior to becoming ill.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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Those continue to recommend the shots for all pregnant people and all very young children, who are as likely as older adults to get seriously ill from COVID.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poorly. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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