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
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
Any attempt to discipline Romero could backfire disastrously and have a negative impact on the dressing room dynamic, not to mention how badly fans would likely react.
—
Jay Harris, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
My husband hurt his back very badly at work and he was given no disability or compensation.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
Last October, the Fort Worth Fire Department said the September fire that badly wounded Halvorson and injured Lt.
—Ginger Allen, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
And again, that’s something the Dolphins badly need.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
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Jay Harris, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
My husband hurt his back very badly at work and he was given no disability or compensation.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
Last October, the Fort Worth Fire Department said the September fire that badly wounded Halvorson and injured Lt.
—Ginger Allen, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
And again, that’s something the Dolphins badly need.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for badly
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badly. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
badly
adverb
bad·ly
ˈbad-lē 
worse
ˈwərs
; worst
ˈwərst
1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: very much
wanted the jeans badly
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