Bad-Badly | Commonly Confused Words
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Bad vs. Badly

Bad

/bad/
Not good or of poor quality

Examples:

The weather is bad today; it's raining.The accuracy of a forecast gets worse over time.But I am thankful to say the worst has not happened.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Badly

/ˈbædli/
To do something in a poor or incorrect way

Examples:

I slept badly that night.'Ralph behaved very badly to you.'Passepartout didn't want Mr. Fogg to think badly of them.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Bad is an adjective, which means it describes a noun, such as a person, place, or thing.
  • Badly is an adverb, which means it describes how an action is performed.
  • If you say someone feels "bad," you describe their emotional state, as in I feel bad about the outcome.
  • If you say someone feels "badly," it would theoritecally mean their ability to feel is impaired, which is less commonly correct.
  • Remember that adjectives modify nouns and adverbs modify verbs; this will help you choose between bad and badly appropriately.
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