What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Awfully vs Badly - What's the difference?

awfully | badly |

As adverbs the difference between awfully and badly

is that awfully is in a manner inspiring awe while badly is in a bad manner.

As an adjective badly is

(northern england) ill, unwell.

awfully

English

Adverb

(en adverb)
  • In a manner inspiring awe.
  • Reverently.
  • Badly, terribly.
    • She led after the swiming and cycling, but ran awfully and came in fourth.
  • (not comparable) Very; exceedingly; extremely; excessively.
  • * 1912 , , The Grim Smile of the Five Towns , Project Gutenberg eText.
    • It was wondrous. 'I'm awfully glad I came now,' his thought ran; 'I'm managing it rather well.'
  • (obsolete) Fearfully.

    • Usage notes

    * Adjectives to which "awfully" is often applied: good, hard, sad, nice, sorry, long, quiet, big, glad, familiar, well, difficult, tired, bad, hot, high, busy, pretty, small, cold, funny, expensive, fond, important, young, interesting, jolly, short, proud, clever, boring, strange, happy, lonely, stupid, strong, sick, pleased, old, hungry, afraid, silly.

    Synonyms

    * (very) very, extremely, terribly

    badly

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (Northern England) Ill, unwell.
    • He's never badly'''''. (''He's never '''ill .)

    Adverb

  • In a bad manner.
  • Very much; to a great degree.
    • I want it so badly .

    Usage notes

    * Badly is sometimes used after feel in its copulative sense where one might expect an adjective, ie, bad. Most prescriptive grammarians prefer "I feel bad" to "I feel badly", but "I feel badly" is widely used.

    Anagrams

    * English suppletive adverbs