1
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way
I'm afraid you performed quite badly in our last rehearsal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 badly
Learning them — even badly — is another experience entirely.
—
Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Marcus Semien hit a chopper down the left side, which Jorbit Vivas stabbed at wildly while missing it badly.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Worst of all, like Zoolander 2 did before it, the film badly miscalculates the value of showbiz and industry cameos, which reach critical mass when the team members fly to Milan and, weirdly, only one of the latter (Donatella Versace, having an awkward lunch with Emily) seems to work.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
In September 1926, the track was badly damaged by the great hurricane of that year, and repairs were long in coming.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Marcus Semien hit a chopper down the left side, which Jorbit Vivas stabbed at wildly while missing it badly.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Worst of all, like Zoolander 2 did before it, the film badly miscalculates the value of showbiz and industry cameos, which reach critical mass when the team members fly to Milan and, weirdly, only one of the latter (Donatella Versace, having an awkward lunch with Emily) seems to work.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
In September 1926, the track was badly damaged by the great hurricane of that year, and repairs were long in coming.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
-
For the former, fans point out that all of the leaks leave Batula in particular coming off very poorly.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The city did not take the court up on that suggestion and should be commended for adhering to its transparency policies in a case that reflects so poorly on the Chicago Police Department.—
Jamie Kalven,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The only way Simpson is pressed into starting duty is if something goes terribly wrong with Stafford.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Suzuki’s early struggles aren’t terribly alarming.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 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
-
These special releases can be extremely valuable, especially if only a small batch is issued.—
Nina Derwin,
Martha Stewart,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The innermost region of any solar system, closest to the parent star, will be extremely hot and subject to large amounts of radiation.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
No, that stuff is all incredible and very much the result of good fortune in my career.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
What a treat to have both of these very different revivals opening on Broadway in a matter of days.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
And yes, in 2026, rage coming from either side of the aisle is an incredibly powerful tool for marketing.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But there’s something incredibly unnatural about the fast attention of the internet.—
Charlie Harding,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Kinahan’s caution came too late.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Section Two of the 1965 Voting Rights Act aimed to prevent mapmakers from weakening the voting power of racial minorities by either packing them into one district or spreading them out across too many districts to have an impact.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Such cuts would defund Florida Forever, severely limiting the state’s ability to protect priority conservation lands and undermining administrative and staffing capacity.—
Susan Carr,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Others have been severely neglected or abused or left stranded following their owner’s death.—
Eric Adler
April 26,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
