badly
♦ bad|ly /b'ædli/ (worse worst)
1 [ADV] ADV with v
If something is done badly or goes badly, it is not very successful or effective.
I was angry because I played so badly...
The whole project was badly managed...
The coalition did worse than expected, getting just 11.6 per cent of the vote.
≠ well
2 [ADV] ADV with v, ADV adj
If someone or something is badly hurt or badly affected, they are severely hurt or affected.
The bomb destroyed a police station and badly damaged a church...
One man was killed and another badly injured...
It was a gamble that went badly wrong.
= seriously
3 [ADV] ADV with v
If you want or need something badly, you want or need it very much.
Why do you want to go so badly?...
Planes landed at Bagram airport today carrying badly needed food and medicine.
= much
4 [ADV] ADV with v
If someone behaves badly or treats other people badly, they act in an unkind, unpleasant, or unacceptable way.
They have both behaved very badly and I am very hurt...
I would like to know why we pensioners are being so badly treated.
≠ well
5 [ADV] ADV after v
If something reflects badly on someone or makes others think badly of them, it harms their reputation.
Teachers know that low exam results will reflect badly on them...
Despite his illegal act, few people think badly of him.
≠ well
6 [ADV] usu ADV -ed, also ADV after v
If a person or their job is badly paid, they are not paid very much for what they do.
You may have to work part-time, in a badly paid job with unsociable hours...
This is the most dangerous professional sport there is, and the worst paid.
= poorly
≠ well
7
see also worse, worstbad|ly off (worse off worst off)
in AM, also use bad off
1 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ
If you are badly off, you are in a bad situation.
The average working week in Japan is 42.3 hours, compared with 41.6 in the UK, so they are not too badly off.
2 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ
If you are badly off, you do not have much money.
It is outrageous that people doing well-paid jobs should moan about how badly off they are.
1 [ADV] ADV with v
If something is done badly or goes badly, it is not very successful or effective.
I was angry because I played so badly...
The whole project was badly managed...
The coalition did worse than expected, getting just 11.6 per cent of the vote.
≠ well
2 [ADV] ADV with v, ADV adj
If someone or something is badly hurt or badly affected, they are severely hurt or affected.
The bomb destroyed a police station and badly damaged a church...
One man was killed and another badly injured...
It was a gamble that went badly wrong.
= seriously
3 [ADV] ADV with v
If you want or need something badly, you want or need it very much.
Why do you want to go so badly?...
Planes landed at Bagram airport today carrying badly needed food and medicine.
= much
4 [ADV] ADV with v
If someone behaves badly or treats other people badly, they act in an unkind, unpleasant, or unacceptable way.
They have both behaved very badly and I am very hurt...
I would like to know why we pensioners are being so badly treated.
≠ well
5 [ADV] ADV after v
If something reflects badly on someone or makes others think badly of them, it harms their reputation.
Teachers know that low exam results will reflect badly on them...
Despite his illegal act, few people think badly of him.
≠ well
6 [ADV] usu ADV -ed, also ADV after v
If a person or their job is badly paid, they are not paid very much for what they do.
You may have to work part-time, in a badly paid job with unsociable hours...
This is the most dangerous professional sport there is, and the worst paid.
= poorly
≠ well
7
see also worse, worstbad|ly off (worse off worst off)
in AM, also use bad off
1 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ
If you are badly off, you are in a bad situation.
The average working week in Japan is 42.3 hours, compared with 41.6 in the UK, so they are not too badly off.
2 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ
If you are badly off, you do not have much money.
It is outrageous that people doing well-paid jobs should moan about how badly off they are.