poorly

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'poorly' is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used as an adverb to mean "in a manner that is bad or unsatisfactory" or as an adjective to mean "not having or showing good health, confidence, or ability". Example sentence: The student performed poorly on the test.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I'd read the lyrics of songs I liked, lots of Led Zeppelin and AC/DC, and got my friends to correct me when I spoke poorly.

The Guardian - Sport

The death of Gurley, whom Bratton called "a total innocent" at the time, helped seal the indictment of the city's practice of allowing poorly trained officers to police impact zones.

The Guardian

Despite delivering well-aimed punches on Darling's lack of detail about future tax powers and Scotland's viability outside the UK, the first minister flailed on his "plan B" proposals for a currency now that the UK parties had vetoed a deal on the pound, relying on poorly judged quips about no campaigners worrying about aliens invading Scotland.

The Guardian

However, their leader, Gerry Adams, has thus far performed poorly on television and radio, showing an inability to answer detailed questions about the republic's economy.

The Guardian

The idea that Muslims as a group are poorly integrated is not borne out by the facts.

The Guardian - Opinion

"He was really poorly in the four days we had him: he had seven transfusions, he had bleeding on the brain, his potassium levels were through the roof.

The Guardian

For all that his summer ended with a World Cup medal round his neck and a large tattoo of the trophy on his left shoulder (no matter that he saw not a single minute of Brazil-based action), it started pretty poorly for Kevin Grosskreutz.

The Guardian - Sport

Former UN ambassador John Bolton, a hawk's hawk, played to type, declaring, "we do not accept an America that is weak and declining, we do not accept an American military that is weak and poorly equipped, and in particular, we do not accept an American president who is weak and indecisive and apologetic about our country".

The Guardian

Clerical workers at the TUC were poorly paid; the lowest-paid clerical workers at the TUC were female.

The Guardian

Do the maths, says Warwick Mansell, reporting on news that the UK is performing poorly in the numbers studying number after 16.

The Guardian

In failing to have ambitious enough plans to end the misery of millions of families shivering in poorly insulated homes, Miliband is not only missing a huge opportunity to save the NHS billions of pounds, he's also missing the chance to show he can say "boo" to Mr Osborne and make big, bold decisions when it matters.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "poorly", ensure the context clearly indicates whether you are referring to the quality of an action or someone's health. For instance, "He performed poorly" versus "He was poorly".

Common error

Avoid using "poorly" to describe an action when an adjective like "bad" or "inadequate" is more appropriate. For example, instead of "a poorly plan", use "a bad plan" or "an inadequate plan".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "poorly" is as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to describe the manner in which an action is performed. As Ludwig AI confirms, it can also function as an adjective referring to the state of health.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

95%

Formal & Business

3%

Science

2%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "poorly" functions primarily as an adverb, indicating a substandard or inadequate manner of performance, though it can also serve as an adjective denoting ill health. According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and widely used. It appears most frequently in News & Media, maintaining a generally neutral register. Related terms include "badly" and "inadequately", offering nuanced alternatives. While versatile, ensure clarity in its application, differentiating between the quality of an action and a state of health. Remember it is a very common term, and can be found in many contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

badly

Replaces "poorly" to indicate a low quality or unsuccessful outcome.

inadequately

Indicates something is not done well enough or to a sufficient standard.

deficiently

Highlights a lack or shortage in performance or quality.

substandardly

Refers to performance below the required or expected standard.

terribly

Emphasizes the poor quality or performance in a more dramatic way.

awfully

Similar to "terribly", conveying a sense of extreme inadequacy.

amiss

Suggests something is wrong or not as it should be.

imperfectly

Indicates a lack of perfection or flawlessness in execution.

inefficiently

Focuses on the lack of productivity or effectiveness.

unskillfully

Highlights the lack of skill or expertise in the action.

FAQs

How can I use "poorly" in a sentence?

"Poorly" can be used as an adverb to describe how something is done, like "He performed "poorly" on the exam", or as an adjective to describe someone's health, like "She was feeling "poorly"".

What are some alternatives to saying "poorly"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "badly", "inadequately", or "deficiently" instead of "poorly".

Which is correct, "poorly managed" or "badly managed"?

Both "poorly managed" and "badly managed" are acceptable, but "poorly managed" is often considered more formal. They both mean the same thing: managed in an unsatisfactory way.

What is the difference between "poor" and "poorly"?

"Poor" is typically an adjective meaning lacking resources or quality, while "poorly" is an adverb meaning in a poor manner. For example, "a poor country" versus "a "poorly" executed plan".