sorely

adverb

sore·​ly ˈsȯr-lē How to pronounce sorely (audio)
1
: in a sore manner : painfully
2
: very, extremely
sorely needed changes

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The pop star's fans were sorely disappointed when the first four episodes of the series' second season debuted without an appearance by Gaga, whose guest-starring role in the gothy drama has been teased by Netflix for months. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 Further loss of culture was experienced through the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, which moved Indigenous adults and families off reservations and into cities like Milwaukee in order to find work and housing, which were sorely lacking on tribal lands at that time. Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Ultimately, Carolina is still sorely lacking top-end talent beyond star cornerback Jaycee Horn and new safety Tre’von Moehrig, which means a postseason push would be all because of a big leap forward for Young. David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025 The singles who made it to the end were less polished, which imparted a feeling of spontaneity sorely lacking here. Laura Bradley, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sorely

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sorely was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Sorely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorely. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

sorely

adverb
sore·​ly ˈsō(ə)r-lē How to pronounce sorely (audio)
ˈsȯ(ə)r-
: in a sore manner

More from Merriam-Webster on sorely

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