regrettably

adverb

Definition of regrettablynext
as in unfortunately

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of regrettably But the obstacles blocking James from joining the Wolves are, regrettably, manifold — money being the first and foremost. — Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 1 July 2026 The world, regrettably, has a habit of changing. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 His legacy at this point is confined to the unfunded mandates of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and the equally unfunded obligations created by ignoring a statute of repose for child abuse claims, regrettably upheld by a bare majority on the Maryland Supreme Court. — George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2026 Our original predictions about the abject lack of viability have been proven regrettably accurate. — Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 25 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for regrettably
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regrettably
  1. unfortunately
  2. sadly
  3. lamentably
  4. tragically
  5. unhappily
Adverb
  • But unfortunately, not every item is considered reusable—whether for sanitary or safety reasons.
    — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 14 July 2026
  • Making the hard decisions is, unfortunately, a part of the role of a caregiver.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Definition of unfortunately
Adverb
  • To its sadly unusual credit, each Enola Holmes film has taken on a different social issue to address, albeit at times rather on the nose-edly.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • The Prince of Wales sadly won’t be attending Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding Friday in New York City, but the heir to the British throne nonetheless made sure to offer some royal prestige to events.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 July 2026
Definition of sadly
Adverb
  • The Locke works are placed directly above and below a small Albers; inches away from each are examples of minerals, in their own display cases, which, jutting out from the wall, distract lamentably from the canvases.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026
  • Our attorney general’s hyperbolic statements, lamentably, do little to help on that front.
    — Letters to the Editor, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
Definition of lamentably
Adverb
  • Unlocked as the replacement for Rachel Reilly, who was tragically pushed into a volcano by an aggressive dinosaur in the year 175 million BC.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2026
  • Ending his life this way, in a desert tomb of family memories, would be tragically fitting, but John Sugar’s in town to facilitate a redemption arc.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of tragically
Adverb
  • But its actual lead is Alice (Souheila Yacoub), a Frenchwoman unhappily married to Joseph’s older brother, Will (George Pullar).
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 2026
  • Wilde stars as one half of a struggling couple, unhappily married to a character played by Seth Rogen.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of unhappily

Browse Nearby Words

regrettable
regrettably
regretted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Regrettably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regrettably. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All