Poorly — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb adjective /ˈpu̇r-lē/ poor·ly

Meaning & Definition of Poorly

Poorly (adverb)

  1. in a poor condition or manner; especially, in an inferior or imperfect way, badly

Poorly (adjective)

  1. somewhat ill, indisposed

Poorly (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in an unsatisfactory way

    "he tends to perform poorly on standardized tests"

    "a poorly drawn figure"

    similar: bad, badly, deficiently, inadequately, lousily, unacceptably, unsatisfactorily, wretchedly
    related: abysmally, atrociously, awfully, damnably, deplorably, detestably, disastrously, dreadfully, execrably, horrendously, horribly, horrifically, rottenly, terribly, intolerably, unbearably, inappropriately, incorrectly, indecently, reprehensibly, unsuitably, vulgarly, naughtily, egregiously, flagrantly, grossly, miserably, shoddily, sleazily, trashily, unspeakably, abominably, odiously, vilely, inferiorly, insufficiently, meagerly, meanly, scantily, scantly, shabbily, skimpily, sparely, stingily
    opposite: acceptably, adequately, all right, fine, good, nicely, OK, palatably, passably, satisfactorily, so-so, tolerably, well
    near: appropriately, congruously, correctly, decently, decorously, felicitously, fittingly, meetly, rightly, seemly, suitably, exactly, faithfully, ideally, precisely, respectably, gratifyingly, satisfyingly

Poorly (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body

    "she stayed home because she was feeling poorly"

    similar: ailing, bad, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky, punk, run-down, sick, sickened, unhealthy, unsound, unwell, out of sorts, under the weather
    related: symptomatic, cruddy, lousy, seedy, sickish, nauseated, nauseous, qualmish, queasy, squeamish, airsick, carsick, seasick, dizzy, light-headed, shaky, woozy, achy, feverish, diseased, disordered, decrepit, feeble, fragile, frail, infirm, invalid, sickly, weak, weakly, afflicted, troubled, debilitated, disabled, incapacitated, hypochondriac, hypochondriacal
    opposite: hale, healthful, healthy, sound, well, whole, wholesome
    near: able-bodied, conditioned, fit, well-conditioned, cured, better, convalescing, improved, mending, recovering, recuperating, rehabilitated, hardy, hearty, lusty, robust, rugged, stalwart, strong, tough, blooming, bouncing, chipper, flourishing, flush, thriving

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Poorly

The most common words with a similar meaning to Poorly:

bad, badly, deficiently, inadequately, lousily, unacceptably, unsatisfactorily, wretchedly, ailing, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky, punk, run-down, sick, sickened, unhealthy, unsound, unwell, out of sorts, under the weather

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Poorly

Words with the opposite meaning of Poorly:

acceptably, adequately, all right, fine, good, nicely, OK, palatably, passably, satisfactorily, so-so, tolerably, well, hale, healthful, healthy, sound, whole, wholesome

Related Words for Poorly

abysmally, atrociously, awfully, damnably, deplorably, detestably, disastrously, dreadfully, execrably, horrendously, horribly, horrifically, rottenly, terribly, intolerably, unbearably, inappropriately, incorrectly, indecently, reprehensibly, unsuitably, vulgarly, naughtily, egregiously, flagrantly, grossly, miserably, shoddily, sleazily, trashily

Near Antonyms of Poorly

appropriately, congruously, correctly, decently, decorously, felicitously, fittingly, meetly, rightly, seemly, suitably, exactly, faithfully, ideally, precisely, respectably, gratifyingly, satisfyingly, able-bodied, conditioned, fit, well-conditioned, cured, better, convalescing, improved, mending, recovering, recuperating, rehabilitated

Origin & Etymology of Poorly

First known use: 13th century

Words & Phrases Containing Poorly

poorly kept secret, speak well/poorly for

Frequently Asked Questions about Poorly

What does "Poorly" mean?

"Poorly" means in a poor condition or manner; especially, in an inferior or imperfect way, badly. As an an adverb and an adjective, it is defined as: in a poor condition or manner; especially, in an inferior or imperfect way, badly. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Poorly"?

Other words for "Poorly" include bad, badly, deficiently, inadequately, lousily, unacceptably, unsatisfactorily and wretchedly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Poorly" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Poorly"?

There are 104 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Poorly". Common alternatives include bad, badly, deficiently, inadequately, lousily, unacceptably, unsatisfactorily, wretchedly, ailing and down.

What is the opposite of "Poorly"?

Antonyms of "Poorly" include acceptably, adequately, all right, fine, good, nicely, OK and palatably. Near antonyms include appropriately, congruously, correctly and decently.

How do you use "Poorly" in a sentence?

Examples of "Poorly" in a sentence: "he tends to perform poorly on standardized tests"; "a poorly drawn figure"; "she stayed home because she was feeling poorly".

Is "Poorly" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Poorly" can be used as an adverb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Poorly"?

"Poorly" is pronounced /ˈpu̇r-lē/ and divided into syllables as poor·ly.

What is the origin of the word "Poorly"?

First known use: 13th century.