sorely
Americanadverb
-
in a painful manner.
-
extremely; very.
I was sorely tempted to report him.
adverb
-
painfully or grievously
sorely wounded
-
pressingly or greatly
to be sorely taxed
he will be sorely missed
Etymology
Origin of sorely
before 900; Middle English sarely, soreli, Old English sārlīce; see sore, -ly
Explanation
When something happens or is felt sorely, it occurs in an intense way. If you sorely miss your best friend after he moves to Hong Kong, you miss him a whole lot. You can say that assistance is sorely needed if your car breaks down by the side of the road, and if your grandparents' old farm house is starting to sag and lean to one side after years of not being cared for, you can describe it as sorely neglected. The adverb sorely is a bit old fashioned, but it's great for emphasizing the large degree to which something is true.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But namely, this sequence of dino-terror suggests that “Jurassic World” might actually provide audiences something they’d sorely lack for the next decade: fun.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
“As a nation we’re sorely uneducated when it comes to financial literacy,” said Daniel Milan, managing partner at Cornerstone Financial Services.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Ben Earl and Freeman were both close to claiming clever kicks ahead with the tryline close at hand, with Jack van Poortvliet bringing some of the zip that was sorely absent in Johannesburg.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Trump expressed his condolences on Wednesday and said Willis will be sorely missed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Reynie stared a long moment at the paper, sorely tempted.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
