badly meaning and definition

BADLY adverb

Definition of badly (adverb)

1. to a severe or serious degree
   • "fingers so badly frozen they had to be amputated"; "badly injured"; "a severely impaired heart"; "is gravely ill"; "was seriously ill"
   • synonyms: gravely, seriously, severely
2. (`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well
   • "he was ill prepared"; "it ill befits a man to betray old friends"; "the car runs badly"; "he performed badly on the exam"; "the team played poorly"; "ill-fitting clothes"; "an ill-conceived plan"
   • synonyms: ill, poorly
   • antonym: good
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"; "he mischievously looked for a chance to embarrass his sister"; "behaved naughtily when they had guests and was sent to his room"
   • synonyms: mischievously, naughtily
5. with great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly')
   • "the injury hurt badly"; "the buildings were badly shaken"; "it hurts bad"; "we need water bad"
   • synonyms: 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"; "he wants a bicycle so bad he can taste it"
   • synonyms: bad
7. without skill or in a displeasing manner
   • "she writes badly"; "I think he paints very badly"
   • antonym: well
8. in a disadvantageous way; to someone's disadvantage
   • "the venture turned out badly for the investors"; "angry that the case was settled disadvantageously for them"
   • synonyms: disadvantageously
   • antonym: advantageously
9. unfavorably or with disapproval
   • "tried not to speak ill of the dead"; "thought badly of him for his lack of concern"
   • synonyms: ill
   • antonym: well
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"
    • antonym: well