1
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way
I'm afraid you performed quite badly in our last rehearsal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terribly
to a great degree
blood donors are badly needed this time of year
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of badly
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military policy, told the Associated Press that Israel’s latest attacks were in response to militant gunfire that badly wounded a reservist soldier Wednesday morning.
—
Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The Eagles badly need Brown, and Brown is on the trajectory to be one of the iconic players in franchise history.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
If an area is badly overgrown with weeds, an alternative to manual removal is to lay down mulch or cardboard in early spring, which suppresses weed growth.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 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
See All Example Sentences for badly
Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The Eagles badly need Brown, and Brown is on the trajectory to be one of the iconic players in franchise history.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
If an area is badly overgrown with weeds, an alternative to manual removal is to lay down mulch or cardboard in early spring, which suppresses weed growth.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 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
See All Example Sentences for badly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badly
Adverb
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At the same time, many of South Carolina’s free vaccination clinics have been poorly attended; some community members hit by the worst of the outbreak in West Texas have stood by their decision to not vaccinate.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
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And many of those may be in private hands, which is why the market is treating the private market players so poorly.—
Kelly Evans,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
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The plot weaves together elements of romance, family drama and feminist struggle against the backdrop of a space walk gone terribly awry.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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There were no debates involved, no refs called in, no bad-mouthing.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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The dialogue sometimes lapses from bad-funny to just bad.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Perhaps, on extremely long timescales, those heavier elements will sink to the center of the core, producing an inert center that slows the rate of fusion even further.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
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Even in hockey – a sport that is extremely popular around the world – there are terms used by commentators or pundits that you might not be accustomed to hearing if not a regular to the sport.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The hydropower generators at Greers Ferry Dam had been idle all day, so the Little Red was very low, with just a hint of current.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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Progress appeared to be very little, as Iran has sought to limit the discussions to solely its nuclear program.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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That’s incredibly moving to me, when people can internally start seeing the other person’s point of view.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
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Next, Stewart moved on to the Winter Olympics and the right-wing meltdown over freestyle skier Hunter Hess’ incredibly mild comments during a press conference.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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That question is something other clients have asked, too, Olins says.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
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The days of emphasizing sinkers and sliders and leaning too heavily on fastballs — see Dollander, Chase — are over.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Herb said the industry plans for an average winter, not a mild or a severely cold one.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
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Otherwise, utility crews will be forced to prune it severely for safety’s sake.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badly. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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