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badly - 3 dictionary results

bad⋅ly

  [bad-lee] adverb, worse, worst, adjective
Use badly in a Sentence
–adverb
1. in a defective, incorrect, or undesirable way: The car runs badly.
2. in an unsatisfactory, inadequate, or unskilled manner: a vague, badly written letter; He paints badly.
3. unfavorably: His neighbors spoke badly of him. The weather turned out badly for the cruise.
4. in a wicked, evil, or morally or legally wrong way.
5. in a disobedient, naughty, or ethically or socially wrong way: He treats his parents badly.
6. very much; to a great extent or degree: a house badly in need of repair; to want something badly.
7. severely; direly: to be injured badly.
8. with great distress, resentment, regret, or emotional display: She took the news of her mother's death badly.
–adjective
9. in ill health; sick: He felt badly.
10. sorry; regretful: I feel badly about your reaction to my remark.
11. dejected; downcast.
—Idiom
12. badly off. bad (def. 47).
Origin:
1350–1400; ME baddeli. See bad 1 , -ly

Usage note:
In the sense “very much,” badly is fully standard: He needs help badly. See also bad.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To badly
bad·ly   (bād'lē)   
adv.   worse (wûrs), worst (wûrst)
  1. In a bad manner.
  2. Very much; greatly. See Usage Note at bad1.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Badly

Bad"ly\, adv. In a bad manner; poorly; not well; unskillfully; imperfectly; unfortunately; grievously; so as to cause harm; disagreeably; seriously.

Note: Badly is often used colloquially for very much or very greatly, with words signifying to want or need.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : badly
Spanish: mal,
German: schlecht,
Japanese: 下手に
More Translations »
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