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3. badly

badly

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bad off

Without enough money to get by; poor. Primarily heard in US, South Africa. I've been bad off for the last few months; it's hard to make ends meet these days.

See also: bad, off

badly off

Without enough money to get by; poor. She was laid off from her job last year, and she has been quite badly off since then.

See also: badly, off

badly off for (something)

Without enough of something that one needs. Primarily heard in UK. I hope you get paid soon, we are badly off for groceries in the house.

See also: badly, off

come out badly

[for efforts at something] to have a bad result. I hope trying to get back together with Joan doesn't come out badly.

See also: badly, come, out

go badly with someone or something

[for something] to proceed badly for someone or something. I hope that things are not still going badly with you. Things are going very badly with the project.

See also: badly

You scared the hell out of me.

 and You scared the crap out of me.; You scared the dickens out of me.; You scared the devil out of me.; You scared me out of my wits.; You scared the pants off (of) me.

You frightened me very badly. (Also with subjects other than second person. Of is usually retained before pronouns.) He scared the hell out of all of us. She really scared the pants off of me.

See also: hell, of, out, scare

bad off

Also, badly off. In unfortunate circumstances, poor. For example, Her husband's death left her bad off, or She had her pension and wasn't too badly off. The first term is colloquial. [Early 1800s] Also see well off.

See also: bad, off