bad - badly

bad - badly
◊ 'bad'
Something that is bad is unpleasant, harmful, or undesirable.

I have some very bad news.

Candy is bad for your teeth.

The weather was bad.

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The comparative and superlative forms of `bad' are worse and worst.

Her marks are getting worse and worse.

...the worst thing which ever happened to me.

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You never use the forms `badder' and `baddest'.
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◊ 'badly'
You do not use bad as an adverb. You do not say, for example, `The Conservatives did bad in the elections'. You say `The Conservatives did badly in the elections'.

I cut myself badly.

The room was so badly lit I couldn't see what I was doing.

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When badly is used like this, its comparative and superlative forms are worse and worst.

Some people ski worse than others.

...the worst affected areas.

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Badly has another meaning which is quite different. If you need or want something badly, you need or want it very much.

We need the money badly.

I want you so badly.

I am badly in need of advice.

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For this meaning of badly, you do not use the comparative and superlative forms `worse' and `worst'. Instead you use the forms more badly and most badly.

She wanted him more badly than ever.

This is the area that most badly needs the relationship.

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Many other words and expressions can be used in a similar way to this meaning of badly. For a graded list, see section on degree in entry at ↑ Adverbials.
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Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • bad, badly — Bad is an adjective, badly an adverb. Despite this clear grammatical distinction, people tend to say I feel badly about as often as the more correct I feel bad. In time, distinction between the forms may break down further, but as of now I feel… …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • bad / badly —    Bad is used after some verbs like am to indicate the condition of the subject: They felt bad. (Using badly here would mean that their skill at feeling is poor).    Badly is used to indicate the manner in which the action of the verb is carried …   Confused words

  • badly — bad, badly 1. After the verb feel, bad is an adjective complement (meaning either ‘guilty, ashamed’ or ‘unwell’) rather than an adverb: • To be absolutely honest, what I feel really bad about is that I don t feel worse Michael Frayn, 1965. After… …   Modern English usage

  • bad — bad, badly 1. After the verb feel, bad is an adjective complement (meaning either ‘guilty, ashamed’ or ‘unwell’) rather than an adverb: • To be absolutely honest, what I feel really bad about is that I don t feel worse Michael Frayn, 1965. After… …   Modern English usage

  • badly — See bad, badly …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • bad — See bad, badly …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • badly — /bad lee/, adv., worse, worst, adj. adv. 1. in a defective, incorrect, or undesirable way: The car runs badly. 2. in an unsatisfactory, inadequate, or unskilled manner: a vague, badly written letter; He paints badly. 3. unfavorably: His neighbors …   Universalium

  • badly — bad|ly [ bædli ] (comparative worse [ wɜrs ] ; superlative worst [ wɜrst ] ) adverb *** 1. ) in a way that is not skillful, effective, or successful: She spoke French so badly I couldn t understand her. a badly organized meeting do badly… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • badly — bad|ly W3S2 [ˈbædli] adv comparative worse [wə:s US wə:rs] superlative worst [wə:st US wə:rst] 1.) in an unsatisfactory or unsuccessful way ≠ ↑well ▪ The company has been very badly managed. ▪ The novel was translated badly into English. ▪ badly… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • badly — bad•ly [[t]ˈbæd li[/t]] adv. worse, worst, adj. 1) in a defective or incorrect way 2) in an unsatisfactory, inadequate, or unskilled manner 3) unfavorably: She spoke badly of him[/ex] 4) in a wicked, evil, or morally or legally wrong way 5) in a… …   From formal English to slang

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