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

Here in SoCal, those spaces represent the soul of Disneyland, but the Magic Kingdom is a different beast and has sorely needed new attractions. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Gracen Halton making strong first impression The 49ers added Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton to add depth to the interior pass rush after sorely lacking juice from the position in 2025. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2026

The curves work well, giving the stadium a dynamic feel that is sorely lacking at Derby, Leicester and their ilk. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

The young man who first came into our universe as a comical and sensitive personality developed into a force who would become a two-time champion, and he will be sorely missed. — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 13 Aug. 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