poorly

1 of 2

adverb

poor·​ly ˈpu̇r-lē How to pronounce poorly (audio)
ˈpȯr-
Synonyms of poorlynext
: in a poor condition or manner
especially : in an inferior or imperfect way : badly
sang poorly

poorly

2 of 2

adjective

British, informal
: somewhat ill : indisposed
feeling poorly

Synonyms of poorly

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Adverb

Adjective

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Examples of poorly in a Sentence

Adverb he tends to perform poorly on standardized tests Adjective she stayed home because she was feeling poorly
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.
Adverb
Data from the Learning Policy Institute shows students who perform poorly in math in middle school rarely suddenly improve in high school, since foundational understanding of mathematics is built in lower level middle school courses. — Samuel O’Neal 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026 While some parking lots are roomy, others can easily get overcrowded, often because the warehouses have become too popular for their footprint, share parking with other retail establishments or are older and poorly designed, parking engineers say. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Adjective
For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025 This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible. — Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poorly

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poorly was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing poorly

Browse Nearby Words

poor law
poorly
poorly kept secret
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poorly. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

poorly

adjective
poor·​ly
ˈpu̇(ə)r-lē, 
ˈpō(ə)r-
: somewhat ill

More from Merriam-Webster on poorly

Nglish: Translation of poorly for Spanish Speakers

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