SORROWFULLY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

sorrowfully

adverb

Definition of sorrowfully

as in bitterly

with feelings of bitterness or grief in a sorrowfully worded statement she announced that she was dropping out of the race for governor

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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 sorrowfully 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorrowfully

Adverb

The race is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's nearly unbroken 17-year rule, which had left Israelis bitterly divided on a host of issues even before the deadliest attack in the country's history.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
The race was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly unbroken 17-year rule, which had left Israelis bitterly divided on a host of issues even before the deadliest attack in the country’s history.

— Tia Goldenberg, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of bitterly

Adverb

Lyle passed recently, sadly, but Lyle is the one responsible for the plant.

— Andrew Buss, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026
Stephen Colbert’s tenure as host of The Late Show sadly ended when CBS cancelled the historic series in May, but his 11-season run was only possible thanks to a prior gig.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadly

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

The dinosaurs’ digestive systems are incapable of breaking down vegetable matter into anything other than a painfully gassy bloat.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Asia was flat to down today as the price of oil remained painfully high—above $114 per barrel.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of painfully

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sorrowful

sorrowfully

sorrowfulness

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“Sorrowfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorrowfully. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of sorrowfully

adverb

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