Advertisement
Advertisement
sadly
[ sad-lee ]
adverb
- in an unhappy, sorrowful, or regretful way; unfortunately; regrettably:
Gun tracing is an attempt to answer the sadly common question of where the gun used in a crime came from.
Sadly, the tourism and money brought in by the World Cup games won't benefit the people who need it most.
Word History and Origins
Origin of sadly1
Example Sentences
BCP's head of seafront, Anthony Rogers, said the fire had "sadly resulted in a loss of seven huts, with two further adjacent huts and a small area of the cliff sustaining some damage".
The family, which has now grown to include Carrie and her children as well, sadly lost Popcorn in the summer of 2023.
A big man, true to his name, dog lover, and a heroin user himself, Bigg sadly passed away in his apartment in 2018 from a cocktail of drugs including fentanyl.
Dr Banfield added that "no one wants a return to scenes of doctors on picket lines" but the government's actions had "sadly made this look far more likely".
"Our sincere condolences go out to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service who also sadly lost a firefighter at this incident, with a further two colleagues in hospital."
Advertisement
Related Words
More About Sadly
What does sadly mean?
Sadly means in an unhappy, sorrowful, or regretful way, as in Whenever my dog looks at me sadly, I can’t help but cuddle him.
Sadly is frequently used to mean unfortunately, as in Sadly, he could not make the game today. This usage often gives a more emotional or sympathetic tone to a statement. It’s often used for disappointments, excuses, reports of loss, and any other scenario where something could be upsetting to the listener or reader.
Example: We report sadly that we were unable to reach our financial goals this quarter.
Where does sadly come from?
The first records of the term sadly come from the late 1300s. It combines the term sad, meaning “affected by unhappiness or grief,” and the suffix –ly, which forms adverbs from adjectives, like gladly and secondly.
Another common sense of sadly is “in a shabby, tattered, or otherwise disheveled way.” For example, you might say a wilting plant looks sadly as it droops. Most of the time, though, sadly will be reserved for situations of disappointment or sorrow.
Did you know … ?
How is sadly used in real life?
Sadly is often used to describe how someone feels about a statement they’re making.
excEYEting update: apparently I scratched 4 of the 6 layers of my eyeball but sadly they wont give me an eyepatch so my pirate dream is over
— Phil Lester (@AmazingPhil) September 29, 2016
adulthood is arrogantly deleting and then sadly downloading tinder & uber eats over and over and over
— Deirdre (@figgled) June 24, 2018
Yes, sadly it's true. This upcoming season of Jersey Shore will be our last. But it was fricken INSANE. I will always love my roomies! 💗
— Nicole Polizzi (@snooki) August 30, 2012
Try using sadly!
Is sadly used correctly in the following sentence?
I looked sadly at the cake I had dropped on the floor, regretting that I wouldn’t get to eat it.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse