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Definitions

badly

[bad-lee] / ˈbæd li /
ADVERB
inadequately
Synonyms
STRONGEST
awkwardly clumsily poorly
WEAK
abominably blunderingly carelessly crudely defectively erroneously faultily feebly haphazardly imperfectly incompetently ineffectively ineptly maladroitly negligently shoddily stupidly unfavorably unfortunately unsatisfactorily unskillfully unsuccessfully weakly wrong wrongly
Antonyms
WEAK
adequately calmly little mildly morally
ADVERB
immorally
Synonyms
STRONG
naughtily
WEAK
criminally evilly improperly shamefully unethically wickedly
Antonyms
WEAK
adequately calmly little mildly morally
ADVERB
very much; desperately
Synonyms
STRONGEST
deeply greatly hard painfully seriously severely
STRONG
gravely
WEAK
acutely exceedingly extremely intensely roughly
Antonyms
STRONGEST
lightly
WEAK
adequately calmly little mildly morally

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Collectors who bought the work of up-and-coming artists hoping to flip them for profit got badly burned.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

After months of dizziness and arms aching so badly she could barely walk her dog, Susan Glannan lay stunned in a sunny hospital room as a doctor told her she should have open heart surgery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The PC business is being badly impacted by a global memory shortage that is driving up prices, and analysts see first-quarter sales to this end market slipping by 7% from the year before.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

“The facade was badly deteriorated, and the interior was … well, let’s say it was very lived-in,” according to their architect, Ben Bischoff.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

She had missed E so badly since she moved.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith