badly
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.
Idioms about badly
badly off. bad1 (def. 41).
Origin of badly
1usage note For badly
Words that may be confused with badly
- bad, badly (see usage note at the current entry)
Words Nearby badly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use badly in a sentence
The rage that Marvin has embodied, a man on the edge of eruption, is always a badly wounded man.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAll of us can readily conjure up horror scenarios by the isolated person acting badly.
He then saw two badly wounded uniformed officers in the front of a radio car.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops | Michael Daly | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTKurnosova badly wants the change to take place democratically.
On her first entrance, Hitchcock says, “She looks old, they've shot her badly.”
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Still, gambling seemed to be made particularly fascinating here, and he wanted to be fascinated, wanted it badly.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. WilliamsonThe evening was cold and raw and so dark that it was almost impossible to distinguish people on the badly lighted little platform.
Uncanny Tales | VariousAll badly insert pure (dissyllabic) before flat; but smothe has two syllables.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems | Geoffrey ChaucerAll were badly and insufficiently fed, as much from disorganized commissariat arrangements as from actual want of supplies.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanA country parish clerk, being asked how the inscriptions on the tombs in the church-yard were so badly spelled?
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
British Dictionary definitions for badly
/ (ˈbædlɪ) /
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
(postpositive) Northern English dialect ill; poorly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse