poorly

American  

[poor-lee] / ˈpʊər li /

adverb

1. in a poor manner or way.

   The team played poorly.

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adjective

1. in poor health; somewhat ill.

   I hear she's been poorly.

poorly British  

/ ˈpɔː-, ˈpʊəlɪ /

adverb

1. in a poor way or manner; badly

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adjective

1. informal (usually postpositive) in poor health; rather ill

   she's poorly today

Etymology

Origin of poorly

First recorded in 1250–1300, poorly is from the Middle English word pourely. See poor, -ly

Example Sentences

It won’t make poorly run or cheap organizations and bad front offices smarter or more stable.

From Los Angeles Times

"Sometimes I could hardly walk and I became really quite poorly."

From BBC

“Valuations start to turn when companies get so big that they deploy capital poorly,” Nguyen says.

From Barron's

We can draw these conclusions because of the tendency for certain sectors to perform well at the end of a bull market and others to perform poorly.

From MarketWatch

After speaking to the couple, the deputy made his way up a narrow, poorly lighted driveway that was 96 feet long and enclosed by fencing and a residential wall, according to the report.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• badly
• crudely
• inadequately
• insufficiently