as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
sadly she told us how her dog died
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Recent Examples of sadly
For those of us who celebrate Kwanzaa, that typically means the kinara and sadly the seven principles of the holiday are also stored away and rarely discussed for the next 11 months.
—
Essence, 2 Jan. 2026
Though it was sadly snubbed at the Academy Awards, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart is still a breathtaking directorial debut.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
But, sadly, the symptoms continued.
—Lisa Vernon-Sparks, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
There was sadly no chance for Soundgarden to stage a complete reunion, but drummer Matt Cameron, guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassists Ben Shepherd and Hiro Yamamoto were all on hand to honor the late Chris Cornell.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadly
Essence, 2 Jan. 2026
Though it was sadly snubbed at the Academy Awards, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart is still a breathtaking directorial debut.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
But, sadly, the symptoms continued.
—Lisa Vernon-Sparks, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
There was sadly no chance for Soundgarden to stage a complete reunion, but drummer Matt Cameron, guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassists Ben Shepherd and Hiro Yamamoto were all on hand to honor the late Chris Cornell.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadly
Adverb
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Ukraine battled Sunday to restore power to tens of thousands of people left without heating in bitterly cold temperatures after a week of intense Russian attacks that have brought the country’s energy infrastructure to its knees.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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The post in a bitterly cold corner of Alaska is home to approximately 350 soldiers, including those of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion, which operates 40 of the military's 44 specialized missiles designed to shoot down nuclear or other ballistic missiles targeting the United States.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 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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Inspired by a 2017 Los Angeles Time article about a San Gabriel Valley tragedy, director Eric Lin’s heartbreaking feature painfully reminds us of the need to get help and how mental health issues within Asian cultures need to be destigmatized.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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By Sunday, he was gone, a mercifully swift ending to painfully slow decline.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 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
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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
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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
Adverb
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Stevens said the loss of Lea’e’s father hit the team hard.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
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Worse, the tariff burden is a regressive tax that falls hardest on lower-income households and small businesses with less bargaining power.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sadly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadly. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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