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sadly

sadly

291 1.0
To show that something is unfortunate or disappointing
  • adverb
  • /ˈsædli/
translation icon : desgraciadamente
  • His book is a... well-intentioned effort, but it falls sadly short in its coverage of the evidence.
  • sadly, many
  • sadly lacking
  • sadly, it seems

So all those guys sadly died except Marcus.

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Examples

  • Sadly, the beloved park will be closed for renovations until next year.

  • I would have even settled for a Libraries 101, but sadly, it never happened.

    Academic text (2015)
  • And the reason is, sadly, none of us is human.

  • A lot of these people, sadly, are cash rich and their life poor.

  • And, sadly, it's something she'll grow out of.

  • We both knew it would end in tears, but sadly it was a necessary ritual.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Sadly, I'm not the one you are looking for but I can help you find him.

  • I find it sadly ironic... that I am standing here today.

  • Talent is flatly distributed, but sadly, opportunity is not.

  • But sadly, like all the greats, El Macho was gone too soon.

Synonyms

unfortunately
vssadly
2.9

Shows that something is sad or unlucky

is the neutral everyday comment used to show regret
too bad
vssadly
  • Informal
643 3.3

Saying that something is unfortunate or disappointing

is the neutral or formal way to express regret rather than slang
alas
vssadly
  • Literature
140 7.4

To show sadness or feel sorry about something bad

is a common neutral remark to show regret rather than an exclamation
regrettably
vssadly
  • Formal
35 4.6

Saying that something is sad or disappointing

is a neutral everyday word for expressing regret rather than formality
woefully
vssadly
27 6.5

In a way that is very bad or not good enough

is used to note regret without necessarily implying such extreme badness
unhappily
vssadly
15 1.3

In a sad or regretful way

is a speaker comment expressing regret rather than describing an unhappy state
regretfully
vssadly
  • Formal
13 3.8

Saying something while feeling sorry, often when you tell bad news

is used more casually to state regret without formal tone
ruefully
vssadly
11 6.9

In a way that shows you feel sorry about something you did

is a more neutral comment about regret rather than a personal emotional tone
depressingly
vssadly
5 4.1

In a way that makes you feel sad or hopeless

is a general regret comment rather than stressing long lasting gloom
disappointingly
vssadly
4 3.8

In a way that is worse than people expected

is a general expression of regret or disappointment about a situation
lamentably
vssadly
  • Formal
2 8.0

In a way that makes people feel regret or sadness

is used more broadly to note regret without implying extreme severity
sorrowfully
vssadly
1 4.6

In a sad way that shows a person is sorry

is used more as a comment about unfortunate facts rather than deep sadness
more's the pity
vssadly
  • Informal
1 9.1

A phrase people say to show regret about bad news

is the neutral everyday comment used to note regret without idiom
dismayingly
vssadly
1 7.5

In a way that makes people feel surprised and upset

is a more neutral expression of regret rather than shock or alarm
dishearteningly
vssadly
1 7.4

In a way that makes you feel disappointed and lose hope

is a simple expression of regret rather than stressing lost hope or confidence
dolorously
vssadly
  • Literature
9.9

In a very sad way

is a plain comment of regret rather than deep or mournful expression

Antonyms

425 2.5

By good luck, things turn out well

How Regrettable

sadly
291 1.0
unfortunately
2.9
regrettably
  • Formal
35 4.6

Surface Forms

sadly positive

Morphology

sadly = sad (semi-transparent) = sad + ly

Formally 'sad' + '-ly', but the conventionalized discourse meaning 'unfortunately' is a pragmatic extension that is not fully predictable from the base adjective.

Etymology

Sadly comes from sad + -ly, literally 'in a sad way', and people use it before bad news to mean 'unfortunately' because the news is sad or disappointing.