sadly

American  

[sad-lee] / ˈsæd li /

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.

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of sadly

sad ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that this is, sadly, a very outdated look at what newspaper journalism used to look like.

From Salon

Nick Dent, TfL's director of customer operations said his thoughts were "with the family and friends of the person who sadly died" and it had conducted its own internal investigation.

From BBC

"I just don't want any other family to go through what we have had to endure, but sadly I know that will happen again," Stella said.

From BBC

She smiles woodenly at the camera, and I smile sadly back at her.

From Literature

"My granddad who got me into the sport sadly passed away a few months ago," said Jones.

From BBC

Related Words

• wistfully