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What was top-of-the-line when the house was built was by now sadly outdated.—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
Sue GraftonThe Greek populations of these great cities are now sadly diminished or gone altogether, leaving them much duller places.—Robert Fox
Robert Fox3
: 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
Matthew MacDonaldIs there a way to get the virus out of an afflicted cat's system? "Sadly, no," says Dr. [James] Richards.—Tom Ewing
Tom EwingExamples of sadly in a Sentence
sadly she told us how her dog died
Recent Examples on the Web
Just like Girl Scout cookies themselves, these Pop-Tarts flavors are sadly only available for a limited time, while supplies last.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2025
Carly Cushnie co-founded Cushnie et Ochs, and her sleek, feminine designs took over red carpets and editorials before the brand sadly shut down in 2020.
—Kedean Smith, Essence, 3 Apr. 2025
Molly wasn’t sure, so sadly, that was the end of their reunion.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 3 Apr. 2025
Yet sadly what many conservatives students deal with every day on so many campuses.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadly
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Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2025
Carly Cushnie co-founded Cushnie et Ochs, and her sleek, feminine designs took over red carpets and editorials before the brand sadly shut down in 2020.
—Kedean Smith, Essence, 3 Apr. 2025
Molly wasn’t sure, so sadly, that was the end of their reunion.
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 3 Apr. 2025
Yet sadly what many conservatives students deal with every day on so many campuses.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadly
Cite this Entry
“Sadly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sadly. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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