What does "poorly" mean?
Poorly: With little or no success; indifferently; with little profit or advantage; as, to do poorly in business.
Additional senses
- 2.Meanly; without spirit. Nor is their courage or their wealth so low, That from his wars they poorly would retire. Dryden.
- 3.Without skill or merit; as, he performs poorly. Poorly off, not well off; not rich.
- 4.Somewhat ill; indisposed; not in health. "Having been poorly in health." T. Scott.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00