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Synonyms

poorly

American  
[poor-lee] / ˈpʊər li /

adverb

  1. in a poor manner or way.

    The team played poorly.

adjective

  1. in poor health; somewhat ill.

    I hear she's been poorly.
poorly British  
/ ˈpɔː-, ˈpʊəlɪ /

adverb

  1. in a poor way or manner; badly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. informal (usually postpositive) in poor health; rather ill

    she's poorly today
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of poorly

First recorded in 1250–1300, poorly is from the Middle English word pourely. See poor, -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Deliver the message poorly and they will likely blame you for the problem.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kenyan authorities introduced a 2023 moratorium on new construction in response to concerns over poorly regulated development in the 580-square-mile reserve.

From The Wall Street Journal

Pochin later apologised for her remarks saying they were "phrased poorly", but maintained that many adverts were "unrepresentative of British society".

From BBC

Epstein mostly fires back terse, business-like, poorly punctuated replies - if any.

From BBC

“Some BDCs are poorly managed, more for the benefit of the managers than the shareholders,” he said in an interview.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.