grow badly

USAGE SUMMARY

"grow badly" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that is developing or changing in an undesirable or negative way. An example is: "The plants began to grow badly due to the lack of sunlight." Alternative expressions include "grow poorly," "develop poorly," and "thrive poorly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Towards the end of the 1980s, Li explains, crops in nearby villages started to fail: "Plants grew badly.

The Guardian

Because of its great root system, its dense growth canopy, and its ability to grow on badly eroded soils, the sericea lespedeza is also extremely useful in soil conservation.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The du Ponts made splendid gunpowder, which the young and growing country badly needed.

Forbes

Those qualms grow, gnaw and badly fester when, at a party, Joanna meets Michael's colleague Laura Eva Mendess), a flirt who can't keep her straying hands or yearning eyes off him.

The New York Times

Kentucky wants to grow hemp so badly, it's suing the federal government.

Vice

The great variety of cancers reflects the fundamental mechanism by which the disease arises: the different combinations of genetic variations that cause normal cells to grow excessively and behave badly.

The New York Times

I think Augusta and the Masters and everybody with that event, they want to grow the game so badly.

BBC

As the U.S. rental market continues to grow, the world is badly in need to apartment search options that provide consistent and trustworthy listings and rental data — as well as a service that adds some entertainment to what is often a teeth-grinding process.

TechCrunch

Now is precisely the time to enact incentive-oriented tax reductions that will keep the economy growing and provide badly needed relief for millions of struggling families.

Forbes

However, they are – by and large – badly grown, pre-ground and full of seeds, stems and leaves.

Vice

Generational incidences of fathers molesting daughters and transforming girls into monsters, of grown men behaving badly in actions stemming from their own childhood traumas, and the solution of one mysterious string of seemingly unrelated killings only opening the door to the next, causes the book to break free from its difficult beginnings.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In highly formal scientific papers, consider using "grow poorly" to sound more objective.

Common error

Avoid using "grow bad" when you mean to describe the process of development. While "bad" can follow "grow" if the verb means "to become" (e.g., "the meat grew bad"), if you are describing how something is increasing or developing, you must use the adverb "badly".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "grow badly" functions as a verb phrase where the intransitive verb "grow" is modified by the manner adverb "badly". In this construction, "grow" typically refers to the process of increasing in size, quantity, or maturity. Ludwig examples show that it is often used to describe sub-optimal biological development or negative trends in socioeconomic indicators.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "grow badly" is a robust and versatile English phrase used to denote negative progression. Whether applied to botany, where plants fail to reach their potential, or to macroeconomics, where a country's development is hindered, the phrase remains a staple of clear descriptive writing. Data from Ludwig indicates that it is highly prevalent in quality journalism and scientific summaries. While more formal synonyms like ""grow poorly"" exist, the query phrase remains one of the most direct ways to communicate a lack of thriving or successful development. Always remember to use the adverbial form "badly" to ensure your description of the action remains grammatically sound.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

grow poorly

Shifts from a general negative tone to a more specific qualitative assessment often used in biological contexts

develop poorly

Broadens the scope to include processes, projects or non-living systems

struggle to grow

Adds a layer of personification, suggesting external obstacles are actively hindering progress

fail to thrive

Utilizes a specific idiom often found in medical or nursery contexts to indicate significant underperformance

deteriorate

Focuses more on the loss of existing quality rather than just the manner of new growth

falter

Implies a loss of momentum or a sudden stumble in an otherwise upward trajectory

grow improperly

Suggests that the growth is happening in the wrong way or shape, rather than just at a slow rate

progress unfavorably

Replaces the common verb with a more clinical and formal alternative for technical reporting

stunted growth

Uses a noun phrase to describe the result of the negative growth process

atrophy

Borrowed from medicine to describe a metaphorical or literal wasting away due to underuse

FAQs

How do I use "grow badly" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe anything developing negatively, such as: "Because of the pollution, the local crops began to "grow badly" and produced no fruit".

What can I say instead of "grow badly" for a business report?

In a professional setting, you might prefer alternatives like "underperform", "develop poorly", or "stagnate".

Is "grow badly" grammatically correct?

Yes, it is correct. According to Ludwig AI, it is a standard verb-adverb construction where "badly" describes the manner in which the subject is growing.

What is the difference between "grow badly" and "grow poorly"?

While they are largely interchangeable, ""grow poorly"" is often perceived as slightly more formal and is frequently used in botanical and academic contexts.