1
as in sadly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
our company president, who is retiring at the end of the year, will be sorely missed
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2
as in terribly
to a great degree
completed some sorely needed repairs to the boat
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Recent Examples of sorely
In this retiree state with much smarts and experience but sorely values-twisted by years of lopsided Republican rule under Govs.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Their new book, lovingly published by Fonograf, comprises sorely needed reprints of their first three books—The Irony of the Leash, A Fresh Young Voice from the Plains, and Sappho’s Boat—along with Bird Watching, written in 1978 but emerging wet behind the ears in print for the first time.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
The silver speed machine was one of the fastest cars of its era and features the kind of engine that’s been sorely missing from the Audi lineup since the R8 was discontinued in 2024.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 May 2026
The work Corban does today — speaking internationally, advocating for treating assault survivors with empathy instead of skepticism and working in development and marketing for a victims’ center — is sorely needed.
—Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sorely
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Their new book, lovingly published by Fonograf, comprises sorely needed reprints of their first three books—The Irony of the Leash, A Fresh Young Voice from the Plains, and Sappho’s Boat—along with Bird Watching, written in 1978 but emerging wet behind the ears in print for the first time.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
The silver speed machine was one of the fastest cars of its era and features the kind of engine that’s been sorely missing from the Audi lineup since the R8 was discontinued in 2024.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 May 2026
The work Corban does today — speaking internationally, advocating for treating assault survivors with empathy instead of skepticism and working in development and marketing for a victims’ center — is sorely needed.
—Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sorely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorely
Adverb
-
With his partner Nick Pihakis, Scott franchised out a few locations of his restaurant across the Southeastern US, but sadly news broke this week that the restaurants are facing multiple lawsuits for unpaid bills and loans.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 May 2026
-
To your point, there’s just so many red carpets now, so sadly the moment doesn’t linger anymore.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Adverb
-
Not terribly hard, as he’s shown before.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 May 2026
-
Not so coincidentally, Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930, was from Kansas, so Isaacman’s answer to a senator from that state isn’t terribly unexpected.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
But Starmer has been reluctant to reopen a debate that bitterly divided the country.—
Jill Lawless,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
Several thousand navvies worked on the railway, living in makeshift camps, and many died in accidents, or from exposure and disease in the bitterly cold winters.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
3 May 2026
Adverb
-
Maine, too, saw its COVID numbers increase dramatically despite extremely high vaccination uptake.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Even from my extremely suboptimal vantage point in the very front corner of the theater, I was awed by the depth and crispness of the 3D imagery.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
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
Adverb
-
Iran has repeatedly used internet shutdowns during periods of unrest, where access to the global internet is severely restricted or completely cut, making foreign websites and apps unreachable.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
Conducting a soil test will eliminate the guesswork when choosing the right type and amount of fertilizer for your trees, as using too much fertilizer or the incorrect type can severely damage them.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 May 2026
Adverb
-
This has most painfully affected public-school teachers.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
The Connecticut Sun hoped this season would be different from its dismal record in 2025, but the team’s performance in its 2026 opener against the New York Liberty on Friday night felt painfully familiar.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Adverb
-
As the Timberwolves desperately searched for an equalizer in the final five minutes, Notre Dame goaltender Kendra DeLawter stood tall in net, robbing two point-blank attempts to preserve the lead for the Cougars.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
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In the early days Sephora desperately needed department store brands to attract, well, department store customers.—
Jenny B. Fine,
Footwear News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sorely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorely. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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