badly
adjective
1. (Northern England) Ill, unwell.
- He's never badly. (He's never ill.)
adverb
1. to a severe or serious degree
- fingers so badly frozen they had to be amputated
- badly injured
Similar word(s): gravely, seriously, severely
2. (`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well
- the car runs badly
- he performed badly on the exam
3. evilly or wickedly
- treated his parents badly
- to steal is to act badly
4. in a disobedient or naughty way
- he behaved badly in school
Similar word(s): mischievously, naughtily
5. with great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly')
- the injury hurt badly
- the buildings were badly shaken
Similar word(s): bad
6. very much; strongly
- I wanted it badly enough to work hard for it
- the cables had sagged badly
- they were badly in need of help
Similar word(s): bad
7. without skill or in a displeasing manner
- she writes badly
- I think he paints very badly
8. in a disadvantageous way; to someone's disadvantage
- the venture turned out badly for the investors
Similar word(s): disadvantageously
9. unfavorably or with disapproval
- thought badly of him for his lack of concern
Similar word(s): ill
10. with unusual distress or resentment or regret or emotional display
- they took their defeat badly
- took her father's death badly
- conducted himself very badly at the time of the earthquake
Sentences with badly as an adverb:
- I want it so badly.