sadly

adverb

ˈsad-lē How to pronounce sadly (audio)
Definition of sadlynext
as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief sadly she told us how her dog died

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sadly But even if Gus had sadly died in the outback, an influx of scavengers would likely have alerted searchers to the presence of his body, experts said. — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026 Dementia is clearly a big problem, and yet, sadly, our politicians — both Democrats and Republicans — talk about it not like adults, but like schoolyard bullies. — Jason Karlawish, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026 Teeny, along with several other animals, was surrendered to the Arizona Humane Society after their own was sadly evicted from their residence. — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026 The absence of Jackson’s on-screen husband is because he was sadly killed in a car accident at the end of the second film. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sadly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadly
  1. bitterly
  2. sorrowfully
  3. painfully
  4. regretfully
  5. mournfully
  6. hard
Adverb
  • Seemingly intentionally, the film leaves some details unresolved — where’s Jo’s absentee father, and exactly what made Manang so bitterly angry?
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • China is demanding the US ease export bans on high-tech goods, like chipmaking gear; the US bitterly complains about Chinese overproduction and transhipment.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of bitterly
Adverb
  • 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
Definition of sorrowfully
Adverb
  • For the past three decades, defense procurement was a stagnant oligopoly dominated by a handful of massive legacy prime contractors and painfully slow cost-plus research-and-development cycles.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Life opened like a zipper, separating them painfully at first, notch by notch, then faster, wider, until the garment lay split in two.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of painfully
Adverb
  • Their reports explained regretfully that the confrontation had prevented two officers from receiving awards for shooting burglars.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Issa bitterly but regretfully prepares for the inevitable showdown.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of regretfully
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
Adverb
  • And as direct as the ad is (more on it in a moment), the film goes even harder.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Beshear has also campaigned and advertised hard for Democratic candidate Zach Dembo, who is taking on GOP candidate Ralph Alvarado in the open 6th District seat around Lexington.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of hard

Browse Nearby Words

sadistic
sadly
sadness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sadly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadly. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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