# badly

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ˈbæd.li/ · frequency rank #3,351

## Definitions
1. In a bad manner.
2. Very much; to a great degree.

## Etymology
From Middle English badly, baddely, baddeliche, equivalent to bad + -ly.

## Easily confused with
- **bay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bay)
- **bal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bal)
- **bly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bly)
- **body** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-body)
- **ball** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-ball)
- **bail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bail)
- **bald** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bald)
- **Bali** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bali)
- **bale** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bale)
- **balm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-balm)
- **Bala** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bala)
- **balk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-balk)
- **bday** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bday)
- **balls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-balls)
- **buddy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-buddy)
- **billy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-billy)
- **Barry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-barry)
- **belly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-belly)
- **Brady** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-brady)
- **bully** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/badly-vs-bully)

## Common misspellings (7)
`abdly`, `baddly`, `badlly`, `badlyy`, `badyl`, `bbadly`, `bdaly`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/badly