as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
the novelist dolefully remarked that the proceeds from his last book would scarcely buy a dollhouse, let alone a real house
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Recent Examples of dolefully
There’s ample gore and jumpy moments, but the true scariness here is of the forlorn kind; leads Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen play the mounting nightmare with ache and desperation, elevating the emotional tenor of a dolefully eerie movie.
—
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 31 Jan. 2026
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolefully
Adverb
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Mary leaves four children, ages 10 to 17 — and relatives feuding so bitterly that the two families had to go to court to decide where Mary would be laid to rest and two separate memorial services were held.—
Jill Smolowe,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
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The strike was fought bitterly on both sides.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Of course, that sadly isn't possible.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
19 Apr. 2026
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In a recent appearance on the High Performance YouTube channel, the former Ferrari boss and FIA president described an interaction with the Brazilian legend that could’ve drastically altered the course of Scuderia Ferrari, the sport, and sadly, Senna’s own life.—
Jerry Perez,
The Drive,
16 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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For their part, Democratic leaders spoke mournfully of limits, of energy shortages, of national decline, of a crisis of confidence itself.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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Based on the Dylan Thomas prose poem of the same name, published in 1952, the film lovingly and mournfully depicts the boyhood Christmastime of an old Welshman, tenderly and a tad mischievously embodied by Elliott.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Jude was painfully conscious of the despoiling of his creative talents.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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As a bare stage swiftly gets dressed in black curtains framing its sides, rumblings fester in the dance ensemble’s torsos and limbs; Danker’s music becomes increasingly driving, propulsive (and painfully loud—an issue that persists through most of the evening).—
Lauren Warnecke,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dolefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefully. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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