badly

Everyday

1. Badly means in a bad, poor or wrong way: «He played badly». tree →
2. Badly means seriously or very much: «badly hurt», «I badly want a dog». tree →

In the lessons

In safety and health, «badly hurt» or «badly burned» means a serious injury needing an adult or emergency help. In school, «I did badly in the test» means a low score — try again and practise. In stories, «badly» describes how characters act or what they need. Phrases: «badly off» (poor), «think badly of», «go badly», «badly behaved».

Examples

• I slept badly last night. tree →
• He was badly hurt in the fall. tree →
• We played badly in the first half. tree →
• She badly wanted to win. tree →
• The window was badly broken. tree →
• Don't treat animals badly. tree →
• The party went badly because of the rain. tree →
• They behaved badly at the cinema. tree →
• “Oh, my brother, I have indeed done badly.” tree →

Note

Irregular comparison: badly → worse → worst. Do not say «I feel badly» for being upset in careful writing; «I feel bad» is correct (feel + adjective). «Badly» describes actions: «sing badly».