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Commonly Confused Words
Bad/Badly
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Jealousy/Envy
Sachet/Sashay
Authoritarian/Authoritative
Can not/Cannot
Bad vs. Badly
Bad
/bad/
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Not good or of poor quality
Examples:
That movie was really
bad
.
I feel
bad
about what happened.
Synonyms:
poor
inferior
substandard
Antonyms:
good
excellent
positive
Learn more about synonyms and antonyms
Badly
/ˈbædli/
Learn more about synonyms and antonyms
To do something in a poor or incorrect way
Examples:
She sings
badly
.
The car was
badly
damaged in the accident.
Synonyms:
poorly
ineffectively
inadequately
unsatisfactorily
Antonyms:
well
adequately
successfully
Learn more about synonyms and antonyms
Ways to tell them apart:
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.
When to use bad:
When to use badly:
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