as in sadly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
I must regretfully inform you that you are not among those who have been accepted for our internship program
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Recent Examples of regretfully
Teenagers look around and see adults thinking back on the year, whether wistfully, regretfully, triumphantly or gratefully.
—
Dr. Marlena Corcoran, Forbes.com, 29 Dec. 2025
The polite way to decline an invite to a wedding is to wish them well, thank them for inviting you and regretfully decline.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
For the role of Desmond, Wilder turned to Swanson, who in real life had also once existed among Hollywood’s loftiest ranks at the height of her career during the Silent Era of the 1920s and '30s, but had gradually — but not regretfully — followed other directions when her stardom waned.
—Scott Huver, People.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Both bravely and regretfully, Daniel shared how those feelings led him to treat his friends poorly.
—Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 18 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for regretfully
Dr. Marlena Corcoran, Forbes.com, 29 Dec. 2025
The polite way to decline an invite to a wedding is to wish them well, thank them for inviting you and regretfully decline.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
For the role of Desmond, Wilder turned to Swanson, who in real life had also once existed among Hollywood’s loftiest ranks at the height of her career during the Silent Era of the 1920s and '30s, but had gradually — but not regretfully — followed other directions when her stardom waned.
—Scott Huver, People.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Both bravely and regretfully, Daniel shared how those feelings led him to treat his friends poorly.
—Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 18 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for regretfully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretfully
Adverb
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But there are glimmers of hope, particularly after the first two (sadly) table-setting episodes, that there is some honest-to-goodness storytelling momentum here.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
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This is sadly part of a larger trend by the mayor in putting his movement ahead of the best interests of his constituents.—
Bradley Tusk,
New York Daily News,
20 June 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
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Customers complained, some bitterly, and AMD heard and granted their demands.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
22 June 2026
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Those fans erupted when Harry Kane scored on a penalty kick in the 12th minute, and groaned bitterly when Baturina scored the equalizer some 20 minutes later.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
Adverb
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The Battle of Karbala — where a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad died defying tyranny — feels painfully present for residents of Nabatieh as Israel continues to occupy southern Lebanon.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
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Iranian officials are also painfully aware that their country was bombed during previous periods of negotiations with the US since the war that broke out in late February.—
Lou Robinson,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Adverb
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So is the moment early in the film when Mary mournfully looks on as her long-ago home faces demolition to make room for a big, featureless residential complex.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
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Things are getting hot in Kayce's love life, even after the widower mournfully visits the East Camp memorial to his beloved wife, Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Regretfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretfully. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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