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badly

bad·ly
B b

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [bad-lee]
    • /ˈbæd li/
    • /ˈbædli/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [bad-lee]
    • /ˈbæd li/

Definitions of badly word

  • adverb badly If something is done badly or goes badly, it is not very successful or effective. 3
  • adverb badly If someone or something is badly hurt or badly affected, they are severely hurt or affected. 3
  • adverb badly If you want or need something badly, you want or need it very much. 3
  • adverb badly If someone behaves badly or treats other people badly, they act in an unkind, unpleasant, or unacceptable way. 3
  • adverb badly If something reflects badly on someone or makes others think badly of them, it harms their reputation. 3
  • adverb badly If a person or their job is badly paid, they are not paid very much for what they do. 3

Information block about the term

Origin of badly

First appearance:

before 1350
One of the 20% oldest English words
First recorded in 1350-1400, badly is from the Middle English word baddeli. See bad1, -ly

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Badly

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

badly popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 96% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

badly usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for badly

adv badly

  • clumsily — awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace: He is very clumsy and is always breaking things.
  • awkwardly — lacking skill or dexterity. Synonyms: clumsy, inept; unskillful, unhandy, inexpert. Antonyms: deft, adroit, skillful, dexterous; handy.
  • poorly — in a poor manner or way: The team played poorly.
  • carelessly — If someone does something carelessly, they do it without much thought or effort.
  • crudely — in a raw or unprepared state; unrefined or natural: crude sugar.

adverb badly

  • deficient — If someone or something is deficient in a particular thing, they do not have the full amount of it that they need in order to function normally or work properly.
  • inadequately — not adequate or sufficient; inept or unsuitable.
  • critically — inclined to find fault or to judge with severity, often too readily.
  • desperately — reckless or dangerous because of despair, hopelessness, or urgency: a desperate killer.
  • disobedient — neglecting or refusing to obey; not submitting; refractory.

adjective badly

  • awry — If something goes awry, it does not happen in the way it was planned.
  • aslant — at a slant

Antonyms for badly

adv badly

  • adequately — as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose; fully sufficient, suitable, or fit (often followed by to or for): This car is adequate to our needs. adequate food for fifty people.
  • calmly — You can use calmly to emphasize that someone is behaving in a very controlled or ordinary way in a frightening or unusual situation.
  • little — small in size; not big; not large; tiny: a little desk in the corner of the room.
  • mildly — amiably gentle or temperate in feeling or behavior toward others.
  • morally — in a moral manner.

adverb badly

  • well — in a good or satisfactory manner: Business is going well.
  • slightly — small in amount, degree, etc.: a slight increase; a slight odor.

Top questions with badly

  • how badly do tattoos hurt?
  • how badly does a tattoo hurt?
  • celebrities who have aged badly?

See also

Matching words

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