badly

adverb

bad·​ly ˈbad-lē How to pronounce badly (audio)
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)
not badly
: fairly or acceptably well
The economy is doing not badly and looks even better than it really is.Tom Teepen
think badly of
: 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
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.
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

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

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Cite this Entry

“Badly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badly. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on badly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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