What does poorly mean?

Definitions for poorly
ˈpʊər lipoor·ly

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word poorly.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. ailing, indisposed, peaked(p), poorly(p), sickly, unwell, under the weather, seedyadverb

    somewhat ill or prone to illness

    "my poor ailing grandmother"; "feeling a bit indisposed today"; "you look a little peaked"; "feeling poorly"; "a sickly child"; "is unwell and can't come to work"

  2. ill, badly, poorlyadverb

    (`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well

    "he was ill prepared"; "it ill befits a man to betray old friends"; "the car runs badly"; "he performed badly on the exam"; "the team played poorly"; "ill-fitting clothes"; "an ill-conceived plan"

Wiktionary

  1. poorlyadverb

    in a poor manner

  2. poorlyadjective

    ill, unwell, sick

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Poorlyadverb

    Etymology: from poor.

    Those thieves spared his life, letting him go to learn to live poorly. Philip Sidney, b. ii.

    If you sow one ground with the same kind of grain, it will prosper but poorly. Francis Bacon.

    Your constancy
    Hath left you unattended: be not lost
    So poorly in your thoughts. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

    Nor is their courage or their wealth so low,
    That from his wars they poorly would retire. Dryden.

    You meaner beauties of the night,
    That poorly satisfy our eyes,
    More by your number than your light,
    You common people of the skies;
    What are you when the sun shall rise. Henry Wotton.

ChatGPT

  1. poorly

    Poorly is an adverb that means in an unsatisfactory, inadequate, or unsuccessful manner. As an adjective, it can mean being in bad health or not feeling well.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Poorlyadverb

    in a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort; as, to live poorly

  2. Poorlyadverb

    with little or no success; indifferently; with little profit or advantage; as, to do poorly in business

  3. Poorlyadverb

    meanly; without spirit

  4. Poorlyadverb

    without skill or merit; as, he performs poorly

  5. Poorlyadjective

    somewhat ill; indisposed; not in health

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of poorly in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of poorly in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of poorly in a Sentence

  1. Christian Stracke:

    We wanted to explain how complicated and potentially risky this could be. A rushed and poorly planned move to break up the banks under a new administration next year could be very destabilizing for the economy.

  2. Renae A. Sauter:

    It’s so free to know that I do not have to compensate or make excuses for being treated poorly in relationships. I can simply move forward knowing I deserve better.

  3. Michele Thompson:

    It's exhausting and exasperating, it's very poorly set up especially for the average citizen. I feel like I went above and beyond.

  4. John Partridge:

    The birth of any gorilla is a rare and exciting event; but the birth of a baby gorilla by caesarean section is even more unusual, it wasn't a decision that we took lightly – Kera was becoming quite poorly and we needed to act fast in order to give the best possible treatment to mother and baby, and to avoid the possibility of losing the baby.

  5. Ron Deibert:

    The US Department of Commerce's designation is a very positive first step to bringing some public accountability and order to this otherwise poorly regulated marketplace.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

poorly#10000#10329#100000

Translations for poorly

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"poorly." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 6 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/poorly>.

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    A articulate
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