badly-off
/ˌbædli ˈɒf/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌbædli ˈɔːf/ (ame, ipa)
badly-off — adjective
1. describes a person, family, or community whose income is so low that they cannot
describes a person, family, or community whose income is so low that they cannot pay for the essential things in daily life, such as nutritious food, a warm home, or proper clothing.
Omar's family was badly off after his father lost his job at the car factory.
The charity provides free winter coats to badly-off children in the city.
badly-off children — attributive use before a noun
Zuri grew up in a badly-off neighbourhood where most families rented their homes.
Many badly-off students receive government grants to help pay for university tuition.
- poor
the most common and neutral term; 'badly off' is slightly more informal and often implies a worsened situation
- hard up
informal British English, often for a temporary shortage of money
- broke
very informal; having no money at a particular moment
- impoverished
more formal; describes long-term, severe poverty
- well-off
the direct opposite; having plenty of money
- comfortable
having enough money to live without worry
文法句型
be + badly off
badly off + for + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used in the comparative form 'worse off' (more badly off) and the superlative 'worst off' (most badly off). The attributive form (before a noun) often takes a hyphen: 'badly-off families'.
常見錯誤
badly-off — phrasal verb
- badly-offbase form
- badly-offs3rd person singular
- badly-offing-ing form
- badly-offedpast simple
1. not having enough money at a particular moment, especially compared with what yo
not having enough money at a particular moment, especially compared with what you had before or what other people have — a temporary or relative shortage rather than long-term poverty.
The Watanabe family was badly off for cash after spending all their savings on medical bills.
badly off for cash — shows the pattern with 'for'
Daniel found himself badly off when his freelance projects dried up last winter.
The school was badly off for basic supplies like paper and pencils.
After paying the huge repair bill, Raj's family was even more badly off than before.
- short of
more neutral; simply means not having enough of something
- strapped for
informal; 'strapped for cash' is a common collocation
- well-supplied with
having plenty of something
文法句型
be + badly off + for + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often followed by 'for' to specify what is in short supply (e.g. 'badly off for time', 'badly off for staff'). Unlike the adjective sense, this meaning emphasises a temporary or situational shortage rather than permanent poverty.
常見錯誤
2. in a poor physical condition or an unfavourable situation — used for objects, bu
in a poor physical condition or an unfavourable situation — used for objects, buildings, organisations, or a person's health that have clearly deteriorated.
The old community centre was badly off, with broken windows and a leaking roof.
After three years of drought, the farm was badly off and could barely grow enough vegetables.
Grandma's health has been badly off since she fell and broke her hip last winter.
The city's public buses are badly off and need major repairs to keep running safely.
- in a bad way
informal; can describe both people and things that are in a terrible state
- run-down
specifically for buildings or places that have not been looked after
- dilapidated
more formal; for buildings or structures falling apart
- in good shape
in a healthy or well-maintained condition
- well-maintained
kept in good condition through regular care
文法句型
be + badly off
用法筆記
This sense applies to things (buildings, equipment) or situations (a business, a project), not usually to people except when describing their health. Distinguish from sense 1 (SHORT OF CASH) — here the problem is physical decay or difficulty, not lack of money.