badly vs bad
Definitions
adverb
- evilly or wickedly
- in a disobedient or naughty way
- with unusual distress or resentment or regret or emotional display
- (`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well
- unfavorably or with disapproval
Examples
I badly wanted the job, but knew that my age would probably tell against me.
My generation was raised on a diet of stultifyingly tedious, but worthy accounts of embryology, typically very badly printed on what appeared to be rice paper.
Equally badly behaved, but a little calmer and better informed, were the massive numbers from the labor unions.
Definitions
adjective
- not capable of being collected
- having undesirable or negative qualities
- not working properly
- capable of harming
- not financially safe or secure
adverb
- very much; strongly
- with great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly')
noun
- that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency
Examples
It's not bad but neither is it brilliant - which won't bother 99 per cent of buyers one jot as they are in it for the image.
I bought a dozen eggs and every one of them was bad.
It got so bad that 12 patrolmen and two police dogs were kept on duty outside the home for several days.