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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of poorly
Jeffrey Ressner, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2026
Heritage strains tend to be grown with fewer pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and some people who react poorly to modern wheat tolerate them better.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
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
After the zapfest on Earth, the anti-climactic tussle between the forces of good and evil occurs back on Eternia, where He-Man and his nemesis cross swords in a clumsy fight that’s not only predictable but also photographed and edited poorly.
—Jeffrey Ressner, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2026
Heritage strains tend to be grown with fewer pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and some people who react poorly to modern wheat tolerate them better.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
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
-
The allegations are that the defendant was impaired, failed to properly secure two young children, and then caused a crash that left one child dead, another seriously injured, and an innocent driver badly hurt.—
Gino Vicci,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
But Orioles center fielder Blaze Alexander badly misread the ball, which wound up landing at least 60 feet behind him and allowed both runners to score.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
One night in April when the boy playing Orlando was home sick and Jamie was waiting for Adele in their private coital chamber, Bromley kept her late to work on the scene where Orlando courts Rosalind playing Ganymede playing Rosalind.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Recently, she’s begun to feel physically sick due to everything going on in her life and is sharing with us that she’s been struggling with getting up, eating and other simple, everyday things.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
1 June 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
Adjective
-
The major indexes are coming off a down day.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
As the factor falls each year, you're required to withdraw a bigger slice of the balance, even in a down market and even when a smaller distribution would make more sense for you.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Adverb
-
But things went horribly wrong when the actor started choking on what was meant to be her instrument of temptation.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 May 2026
-
Many more were horribly injured.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
On board the ship, several passengers became severely ill, and two died before the illness was identified as the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread from person to person.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
-
With Kvaratskhelia taking his first steps in professional football, Badri became dangerously ill.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poorly. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
