BADLY Definition & Meaning

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badly

[ bad-lee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

worse, worst.

in a defective, incorrect, or undesirable way:
The car runs badly.
in an unsatisfactory, inadequate, or unskilled manner:
a vague, badly written letter; He paints badly.
unfavorably:
His neighbors spoke badly of him. The weather turned out badly for the cruise.
in a wicked, evil, or morally or legally wrong way.
in a disobedient, naughty, or ethically or socially wrong way:
He treats his parents badly.
very much; to a great extent or degree:
a house badly in need of repair; to want something badly.
severely; direly:
to be injured badly.
with great distress, resentment, regret, or emotional display:
She took the news of her mother's death badly.

adjective

in ill health; sick:
He felt badly.
sorry; regretful:
I feel badly about your reaction to my remark.
dejected; downcast.

badly

/ ˈ��æ��ɪ /

adverb

poorly; defectively; inadequately
the chair is badly made
unfavourably; unsuccessfully; unfortunately
our scheme worked out badly
severely; gravely
he was badly hurt
incorrectly or inaccurately
to speak German badly
improperly; naughtily; wickedly
to behave badly
without humanity; cruelly
to treat someone badly
very much (esp in the phrases need badly , badly in need of , want badly )
regretfully
he felt badly about it
badly off
poor; impoverished

adjective

dialect.
postpositive ill; poorly

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Usage Note

In the sense “very much,” badly is fully standard: He needs help badly. bad ¹.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of badly¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English baddeli, baddeliche, badli(che) “wickedly, evilly, poorly”; bad ¹, -ly

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Idioms and Phrases

badly off. bad ¹( def 41 ).

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

After months of anxiously waiting, South Koreans have some badly needed closure.

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That would badly impact EU consumers, not only US industry, and it would worsen already dismal relations with the US.

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She said: "It affects me badly as I get angry and frustrated. I still have pain and cannot do the things I used to."

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Players wanted to attend North Hollywood so badly that there was a joke that the school’s zoo magnet program had become filled with basketball players instead of future doctors or veterinarians.

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They really need a positive result to get back on track, so who better to face than an Ipswich team who are struggling badly?

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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