DOLEFULLY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

dolefully

adverb

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolefully

Adverb

Alberto learns that his grandfather—whom his mother, Teresa (Lola Dueñas), was bitterly estranged from and never introduced her son to—has recently died and left him a curious inheritance, a mystery that needs untangling.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
The race is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's nearly unbroken 17-year rule, which had left Israelis bitterly divided on a host of issues even before the deadliest attack in the country's history.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of bitterly

Adverb

Lyle passed recently, sadly, but Lyle is the one responsible for the plant.

— Andrew Buss, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026
Stephen Colbert’s tenure as host of The Late Show sadly ended when CBS cancelled the historic series in May, but his 11-season run was only possible thanks to a prior gig.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadly

Adverb

Fra Fee, as Joe, has a slightly harder task, since his role is almost entirely reactive; while Ethan bangs on mournfully about, effectively, the dangers of shagging your brother’s wife — well, who would have thought?

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026
Mayfield watched mournfully in his kitchen while the rest of the family sat in the living room with the big screen next to a Christmas tree.

— John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026

Definition of mournfully

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dolefully

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“Dolefully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefully. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of dolefully

adverb

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