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Definitions

poorly

[poor-lee] / ˈpʊər li /
ADJECTIVE
not well
Synonyms
STRONGEST
ill
WEAK
ailing below par failing indisposed low mean out of sorts rotten sick sickly under the weather unwell
Antonyms
WEAK
healthy well
ADVERB
unsatisfactorily
Synonyms
STRONGEST
badly crudely inadequately insufficiently
WEAK
defectively incompetently inexpertly inferiorly meanly shabbily unsuccessfully
Antonyms
WEAK
satisfactorily well

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.

Hosting Tottenham head coach Roberto de Zerbi in Chelsea's directors' box on Monday, ostensibly to scout his future opponents, went down poorly with sections of the fanbase.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

I noticed this most after scans that went well, not poorly.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

This resilience means that standard water treatment methods may not always be enough to eliminate them, especially in older or poorly maintained systems.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2026

Today, the mine’s poorly maintained dams still loom over frightened victims of the spill, according to their lawyers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

There had never been an intruder aboard the Juggernaut, and it was poorly equipped for its first one.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown