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# poorly

«poorly» in Mova's school dictionary: **badly, not well: «The team played poorly.»** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adverb (poorly); adjective (poorly — mainly UK, «feeling poorly»)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Poorly means badly, not well: «The team played poorly.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#m1)

2) In British and Irish English, «poorly» also means ill or unwell: «Grandad is poorly today.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#m2)

3) «Poorly paid» means getting too little money. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In school reports «poorly» describes weak work («answered poorly»). In everyday UK life children say they feel poorly when they are sick. Phrases: «feel poorly», «poorly paid», «poorly lit», «did poorly on the test».

### examples

- The street was poorly lit, so we used a torch. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#x1)
- He did poorly on the spelling test because he didn't practise. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#x2)
- I'm feeling poorly, Mum, can I stay home? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#x3)
- The plants grew poorly in the dark cupboard. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#x4)
- Our team played poorly in the first half but won in the end. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#x5)
- The house was poorly built and the roof leaked. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/#x6)

### note

The adverb comes from «poor» + -ly. In the UK «poorly» as «ill» is friendly, informal and common with children; in the USA it is rare and people say «sick». «Poorly» does not mean «having little money» (that is «poor»).

### In the corpora

- [Albino animals often see poorly, burn easily in sun and are easier for predators to spot.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/367-animal-colours-pink-flamingos-rare-blue-animals-white-albinos-and-black-panthers/12/)
- [Kids who look after a poorly or struggling parent are called young carers, and there are groups and help for them.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/22/)
- [It's a special hospital ward where doctors and nurses look after very poorly or very early babies all day and all night.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/504-a-new-baby/18/)
- [Intensive care is a special hospital ward where very poorly or very early babies are watched day and night.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/504-a-new-baby/44/)
- [She helps with the hoovering, and tells her teacher when Nana seems poorly.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/523-kinship-care-living-with-gran-or-an-aunt/7/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «poorly» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/poorly/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.