badly and seriously share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. badly means “to a severe or serious degree”. seriously means “in a serious manner”. seriously 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”
/ˈsɪɹiəsli/
1.adv.in a serious manner
“talking earnestly with his son”
2.adv.to a severe or serious degree
“fingers so badly frozen they had to be amputated”
| badly | seriously | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbædli/ | /ˈsɪɹiəsli/ |
| Said | BAD-lee | SIR-ee-uh-slee |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Letters | 5 | 9 |
| Parts of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Senses | 10 | 2 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | severely, gravely, seriously | earnestly, in earnest |
Full entry for badly · Full entry for seriously · More comparisons