sorely

adverb

sore·​ly ˈsȯr-lē 

1

: in a sore manner : painfully

2

: very, extremely

sorely needed changes

Synonyms of sorely

• sadly
• bitterly
• sorrowfully
• painfully

Examples of sorely in a Sentence

You will be sorely missed.

She provided some sorely needed help.

The house is sorely in need of paint.

He is sorely lacking in social skills.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their attack sorely lacked speed and dynamism last season, which was a major reason why Arne Slot’s side looked so toothless in attack. — Andy Jones, New York Times, 30 July 2026

With Big Bear eagle Jackie in intensive care for nearly a week battling an unexplained malady, fans of the Internet-famous bird and her mate Shadow were sorely in need of a silver lining — and just got one. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

The organization has already had to reduce staff and will do so again after the September funding cutoff, Markworth said, which will mean a dramatic rethinking of its programming at a time when nutrition education is sorely needed. — Joe Hernandez, NPR, 23 July 2026

The new infrastructure is sorely needed, said Jessica Purcell, a Chariho school committee member. — Jonny Williams, The Providence Journal, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sorely

adverb

sore·​ly ˈsō(ə)r-lē 

ˈsȯ(ə)r-

: in a sore manner