as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way
he tends to perform poorly on standardized tests a poorly drawn figure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
she stayed home because she was feeling poorly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poorly
Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026
The Sharks didn’t play poorly on Wednesday.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poorly
Adverb
Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney, told the swelling crowd along Portland Avenue that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were poorly trained and their operations lacked legitimacy.
—Adjective
This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for poorly
Adverb
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How do the Chiefs fall behind that badly in any passing statistic when Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback throwing the football?—
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The area was badly burned, but still Simpson noticed green sprouts peeking out of the ashy soil and from the branches of trees that the average passerby might assume were dead.—
Adjective
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This leaves a sicker risk pool behind and drives premiums even higher for those who remain.—
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Humans who have prolonged close contact with sick or dead birds infected with HPAI are the most at risk of becoming infected.—
Adverb
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And it’s been replaced by the grim reality that this team is one bad-looking MRI away from downright irrelevance.—
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Pull leftovers that still need to be eaten to the front, along with any foods that are going to go bad soon.—
Adjective
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The Vikings were last in the NFL in turnovers, interceptions and third down conversions and second-to-last in sack percentage.—
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While a small sample size, the historical record for what happens after the S & P 500 has a down month after a seven-month win streak is more reassuring than alarming for the near term.—
Adverb
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The Penguins were horribly cavalier with the puck most of the game, and especially in the first period.—
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But an information-technology contract gone horribly awry on her watch resulted in late bills last year that required school districts throughout the county to borrow and pay substantial interest just to make payroll and cover basic expenses.—
Adjective
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All bode ill for the 2026 midterms.—
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Continue reading … MYSTERY THREAT – Military personnel fall ill at presidential aircraft base after opening package.—
Cite this Entry
“Poorly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poorly. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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