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What was top-of-the-line when the house was built was by now sadly outdated.—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
And sadly, the people in charge of the apparatus of government there are both incompetent and unable to solve these problems.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
Chávez inspired millions — but those books will now forever read as hollow and sadly myopic.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Tigga, meanwhile, at 14 years old, suffered the kind of heartbreak that is sadly all too common among senior dogs at the shelter.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
In reality however — and sadly — this structure gave way to constant battles and micromanagement, often preventing the mayor from improving the system and enacting any real change.
—Dennis Walcott, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sadly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
Chávez inspired millions — but those books will now forever read as hollow and sadly myopic.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Tigga, meanwhile, at 14 years old, suffered the kind of heartbreak that is sadly all too common among senior dogs at the shelter.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
In reality however — and sadly — this structure gave way to constant battles and micromanagement, often preventing the mayor from improving the system and enacting any real change.
—Dennis Walcott, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sadly
Cite this Entry
“Sadly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sadly. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
