1
: in a bad manner
played badly
2
: to a great or intense degree
want something badly
Phrases
badly off for
British
: strongly in need of (something or someone)
It may seem pie in the sky in the current financial climate, but few could argue that for a city of its size and prestige, Edinburgh is badly off for large-scale sports facilities.—
The Evening News (Edinburgh)
The Evening News (Edinburgh)
: fairly or acceptably well
The economy is doing not badly and looks even better than it really is.—Tom Teepen
Tom Teepen
: to have an unfavorable or low opinion of (someone or something)
"Will you think badly of me if I disagree?"
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
Hours later, the bodies of seven children - most of them badly burned - arrived at the hospital, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
One soldier who served under him was wounded badly.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
For those who have loved badly and understood it too late, this song hits straight to the soul.
—Luisa Calle, Billboard, 23 May 2025
If the apartment has been damaged badly, then the landlord can keep some of the security deposit.
—Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
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Tim Lister, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
One soldier who served under him was wounded badly.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
For those who have loved badly and understood it too late, this song hits straight to the soul.
—Luisa Calle, Billboard, 23 May 2025
If the apartment has been damaged badly, then the landlord can keep some of the security deposit.
—Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for badly
Cite this Entry
“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badly. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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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