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What was top-of-the-line when the house was built was by now sadly outdated.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

• bitterly
• sorrowfully
• painfully
• mournfully
• regretfully
• hard

Examples of sadly in a Sentence

sadly she told us how her dog died

Recent Examples on the Web

The musical numbers culminate in a scene that shows Karolina bravely, sadly and desperately doing the one thing a girl in her position can do — becoming a solo act of resistance in a world of submission. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025

Yet the tragedy last month in Minnesota demonstrates that such reminders must sadly be issued. —Andre M. Davis, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2025

These brave men and women conducting rescue operations have saved many people but sadly, there have also been at least 50 fatalities reported, including 15 children as of Saturday night. —Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 6 July 2025

Expanding or finishing the subway is sadly unrealistic at this time given its cost. —Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 4 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sadly

• badly
• gladly
• madly
• comradely