badly and ill share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. badly means “to a severe or serious degree”. ill means “affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function”. ill is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbædli/
1.adv.to a severe or serious degree
“fingers so badly frozen they had to be amputated”
2.adv.(`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well
“he was ill prepared”
3.adv.evilly or wickedly
“treated his parents badly”
/ˈɪl/
1.adj.affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
“ill from the monotony of his suffering”
2.adj.resulting in suffering or adversity
“ill effects”
3.adj.distressing
“ill manners”
| badly | ill | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbædli/ | /ˈɪl/ |
| Said | BAD-lee | il |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 3 |
| Parts of speech | adverb | adjective, adverb, noun |
| Senses | 10 | 9 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | severely, gravely, seriously | sick |
Full entry for badly · Full entry for ill · More comparisons