sadly

adverb

sad·​ly ˈsad-lē 

1

: in a sad manner : in a way that shows sadness or unhappiness

They spoke sadly of their loss.

She shook her head sadly.

He walked away sadly.

2

: in a way that causes feelings of sadness, disappointment, or regret

a garden that has been sadly neglected for many years

What was top-of-the-line when the house was built was by now sadly outdated.

—Sue Grafton

The Greek populations of these great cities are now sadly diminished or gone altogether, leaving them much duller places.

—Robert Fox

3

: unfortunately

—used to say that something is sad, unfortunate, or regrettable

Sadly, you can upload a perfectly working website today and return a few months later to find that many of its external links have died off.

—Matthew MacDonald

Is there a way to get the virus out of an afflicted cat's system? "Sadly, no," says Dr. [James] Richards.

—Tom Ewing

Synonyms

• agonizingly
• bitterly
• dolefully
• dolorously
• grievously
• hard
• hardly
• inconsolably
• lugubriously
• mournfully
• painfully
• plaintively
• regretfully
• resentfully
• ruefully
• sorely
• sorrowfully
• unhappily
• wailfully
• woefully
• wretchedly

Examples of sadly in a Sentence

sadly she told us how her dog died

Recent Examples on the Web

But whilst many of the original characters have changed beyond recognition in this chaotic spin-off show that fans have come to love/hate, Aidan, sadly, has not. —Lisa Niven-Phillips, Vogue, 25 June 2025

The other three liars are, sadly, deceased, and much of the older generation has wasted away due to age or dementia. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 25 June 2025

Since a weakened Congress has abdicated its power to the executive, we could sadly be dragged into yet another endless war. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025

The film sadly concluded with the revelation that Venus was strangled to death at age 23, with her body covered by a mattress inside a hotel room. —EW.com, 24 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sadly

• badly
• gladly
• madly
• comradely