sorely

adverb

sore·​ly ˈsȯr-lē 

1

: in a sore manner : painfully

2

: very, extremely

sorely needed changes

Synonyms of sorely

• bitterly
• sadly
• sorrowfully
• painfully
• woefully
• grievously

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

That is what Sesko can add, and it will be sorely needed on Sunday, when United are back at Old Trafford to host Manchester City. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Anyone expecting fireworks, or even a confrontation of any kind, may be sorely disappointed by how anticlimactic the moment proves. — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Some of these states, including Ascherson’s beloved Poland, hastily transitioned to market economies, sorely disappointing him. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026

The Idaho transfer had a strong fall camp and has a versatile skillset that the Horned Frogs sorely missed against the Tar Heels. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 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