badly

adverb

bad·​ly ˈbad-lē How to pronounce badly (audio)
Synonyms of badlynext
1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: to a great or intense degree
want something badly
see also:
badly off for not badly think badly of

Synonyms of badly

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Examples of badly in a Sentence

He played badly but I played even worse. The failure reflects badly on the administration. She wanted the job badly. I'm badly in need of a vacation. His fingers were badly frozen.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
People, information, data, know-how, infrastructure, suppliers and technology are suddenly unavailable or badly degraded. — Bojan Ilic, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 One of the most important economic engines for Illinois and the rest of the Midwest is getting badly outclassed in global markets. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026 Bottom line Shares rose about 3% in extended trading, a welcome market reaction considering how badly the stock has struggled. — Kevin Stankiewicz,jeff Marks, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026 Revising history, badly Fernandez was one of 13 members of a statewide task force that three years ago rewrote high school history curriculum standards, including Black history. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for badly

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of badly was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing badly

Rhymes for badly

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Browse Nearby Words

bad luck
badly
badly off
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Cite this Entry

“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badly. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

badly

adverb
bad·​ly ˈbad-lē How to pronounce badly (audio)
worse
ˈwərs
 ; worst
ˈwərst
1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: very much
wanted the jeans badly
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