sadly

adverb

sad·​ly ˈsad-lē 

1

: in a sad manner : in a way that shows sadness or unhappiness

They spoke sadly of their loss.

She shook her head sadly.

He walked away sadly.

2

: in a way that causes feelings of sadness, disappointment, or regret

a garden that has been sadly neglected for many years

What was top-of-the-line when the house was built was by now sadly outdated.

—Sue Grafton

The Greek populations of these great cities are now sadly diminished or gone altogether, leaving them much duller places.

—Robert Fox

3

: unfortunately

—used to say that something is sad, unfortunate, or regrettable

Sadly, you can upload a perfectly working website today and return a few months later to find that many of its external links have died off.

—Matthew MacDonald

Is there a way to get the virus out of an afflicted cat's system? "Sadly, no," says Dr. [James] Richards.

—Tom Ewing

Synonyms

• agonizingly
• bitterly
• dolefully
• dolorously
• grievously
• hard
• hardly
• inconsolably
• lugubriously
• mournfully
• painfully
• plaintively
• regretfully
• resentfully
• ruefully
• sorely
• sorrowfully
• unhappily
• wailfully
• woefully
• wretchedly

Examples of sadly in a Sentence

sadly she told us how her dog died

Recent Examples on the Web

Oscar sadly is too prim and proper to reward its raw sexuality. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025

And your institution is, sadly, more relevant than it’s been in a long time. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025

And sadly Harper and Will are at the SNL 50th [anniversary concert] that night. —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025

This is sadly the case for actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who was one of many displaced from her home with her husband Brian Hallisay and their three children earlier this year. —Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sadly

• badly
• gladly
• madly
• comradely