poorly

adjective

(UK) Ill, unwell, sick.

adverb

In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort.

With little or no success; indifferently; with little profit or advantage.

Without skill or merit.

In a negative manner; with disapproval; unfavorably.

Meanly; without spirit.

Roots

paucuspauper- · Latin · few, little

Synonyms for poorly

badlyadv inadequatelyadv shoddilyadv shabbilyadv wretchedlyadv ineptlyadv atrociouslyadv miserablyadv meagerlyadv incompetentlyadv inefficientlyadv inexpertlyadv execrablyadv unskillfullyadv improperlyadv unwelladj unfitlyadv

Synonyms & related words for poorly

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of poorly — including badly, inadequately, shoddily, shabbily, wretchedly, ineptly. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to poorly

Explore words related to poorly — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include lousily, unimpressively, abysmally, decently, horribly, properly, rottenly, ill. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for poorly

Common synonyms for poorly include badly, inadequately, shoddily, shabbily, wretchedly, ineptly, atrociously, miserably — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does poorly come from?

The word poorly breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root pauper-, from Latin paucus (“few, little”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.