sadly

[ sad-lee ]

adverb

1. 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

sad ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Professor Williams added: "I don't think it's useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second, before you could take it out of the pan."

From Science Daily

Gadsby’s show “Douglas” was named after their now sadly departed dog.

From Los Angeles Times

While a lot of positive steps have been taken, the headline figures on emissions have sadly not changed much.

From BBC

It’s a sadly common occurrence in Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times

It's sometimes true, sadly enough, that protesters who shout “From the river to the sea” or who hold Israel “entirely responsible” for Hamas’ violence on Oct.

From Salon

Related Words

• wistfully

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 … ?

What are some synonyms for sadly?

• unhappily
• wistfully

What are some words that share a root or word element with sadly? 

• sad
• sadness

What are some words that often get used in discussing sadly?

• feeling
• unhappily
• cry

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.