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

Mercedes said the comments against Antonelli marked a "1,100% increase in the abuse we sadly usually see on a Sunday of a race weekend".

Read more on BBC

I also learned that, sadly, my body would have rid itself of some of these chemicals during pregnancy, by passing it on to my babies.

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"Kyle fought with everything he had but in the end it all became too much for him and he very sadly passed away yesterday evening."

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"What should be a momentous occasion has sadly been overshadowed by scandal and dishonesty from someone who was welcomed into our crazy sport," she said in a post on her Instagram, external account.

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“It’s much quieter and not nearly as buzzy as it used to be, sadly.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• wistfully 

When To Use

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.