Search

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.
in ill health; sick:
He felt badly.
sorry; regretful:
I feel badly about your reaction to my remark.
dejected; downcast.
badly off. bad1 (def 42).
Contemporary Examples

The clarification did not help, to say the least, and Mourdock now badly trails his conservative Democratic opponent.
The Tea Party: the GOP’s Own Worst Enemy David Frum November 2, 2012

“You all know how badly I despise Obamacare,” Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) told a Capitol Hill news conference on Tuesday.
Jennifer Rubin is Wrong on the Internet Justin Green May 14, 2013

Which is too bad, because we badly need that squishy, soft quality to restore the hardest of hard things, the economy.
How Empathy Can Save the Economy Maia Szalavitz May 27, 2009

The GOP was foundering so badly, pundits talked in terms of “decades” of Democratic dominance.
The GOP’s Blacklist Mark McKinnon November 23, 2009

After eight continuous years of war, rebuilding that badly over-used Army is becoming an urgent national problem.
The Next Fort Hood Ken Allard November 9, 2009

Historical Examples

He was fiddling while Rome was—waiting for the burning it needed so badly.
A Change of Air Anthony Hope

I was a good deal laughed at, but not badly treated, on the whole.
Ned Myers James Fenimore Cooper

Yet the edge of His sword is badly nicked, and never regains its old edge.
Quiet Talks about Jesus S. D. Gordon

It was badly broken, but they could see that it belonged there.
Buried Cities, Part 2 Jennie Hall

On these two graves, close together, still remained the badly rotted wooden head boards.
History of ‘Billy the Kid’ Chas. A. Siringo

adverb worse, worst
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
adjective
(postpositive) (Northern English, dialect) ill; poorly
adv.

c.1300, “unluckily;” late 14c., “wickedly, evilly; poorly, inadequately,” from bad + -ly (2).