Synonyms of sadly

sadly

adverb

ˈsad-lē 

as in bitterly

with feelings of bitterness or grief

sadly she told us how her dog died

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bitterly
• sorrowfully
• painfully
• regretfully
• mournfully
• hard
• woefully
• unhappily
• ruefully
• sharply
• sorely
• harshly
• grievously
• dolefully
• agonizingly
• lugubriously
• resentfully
• wailfully
• plaintively
• wretchedly
• dolorously
• hardly
• severely
• inconsolably
• dejectedly
• miserably
• despairingly
• dismally
• abjectly
• dispiritedly
• despondently
• cheerlessly
• distressingly
• forlornly
• glumly
• disconsolately
• somberly
• sullenly
• poignantly
• distressfully
• darkly
• pessimistically
• morosely
• drearily
• acutely
• gloomily
• joylessly
• keenly
• cruelly
• dourly
• mirthlessly
• ill
• downheartedly
• blackly
• crestfallenly
• piercingly
• low-spiritedly
• hurtfully
• rancorously

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• happily
• gladly
• blissfully
• joyfully
• joyously
• cheerfully
• gleefully
• merrily
• easily
• cheerily
• delightedly
• lightheartedly
• gaily
• lightly
• casually
• calmly
• well
• indifferently
• blithely
• stoically
• nonchalantly
• dispassionately
• unconcernedly
• impassively
• sunnily
• mirthfully
• rejoicingly
• favorably
• good-naturedly
• blithesomely

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sadly

Most workplace tragedies, sadly, never get that attention, even though more than 5,000 people die from accidents at work every year. — Matt Helmer, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026

From the first take to the last, the scene evolves quite dramatically, and the final take is the one that most closely resembles the scene in the finished episode (though, sadly, Ned’s introductory muttering seems to have been cut for time). — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2026

Words, stories, the company of others can help ease the pain that is interconnected through the first three quarters of the 20th century, and sadly still resonating right thru the first quarter of the 21st. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026

Maple Leaf Ice Cream Sandwiches Fall in the South does not, sadly, guarantee a cool spell. — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026