sadly
gb/sˈædli/ us/sˈædli/
A2
English
~ 1800
Senses
0 senses
adverb
A2
property
1
In a manner showing sadness
In a way that shows you feel sad.
Usage pattern:
[someone] sadly [verb]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sadly' with 'sad', forgetting that 'sadly' describes how something is done, not a permanent state.
Synonyms
sorrowfully (More formal and literary than 'sadly', often used in written narratives.)
|
mournfully (Suggests deep grief, often due to loss.)
Antonyms
happily (Expresses the opposite emotion, showing joy instead of sadness.)
Collocations
look sadly
|smile sadly
|speak sadly
|shake head sadly
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She smiled sadly at the old photograph.
- He shook his head sadly when he heard the news.
- The child looked sadly out the window as the rain fell.
- They spoke sadly about their friend who had moved away.
Learner examples
- She looked sadly at the broken toy.
- He walked sadly down the street.
- The man spoke sadly about his job.
- I waved sadly as my friend left.
adverb
B1
property
2
Regrettably or unfortunately
Used to say that something is not good and makes you feel sorry about it.
Usage pattern:
Sadly, [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'sadly' instead of 'unfortunately' in formal writing where emotional tone is not intended.
Synonyms
unfortunately (Neutral and very common; lacks the emotional tone of 'sadly'.)
|
regrettably (More formal; emphasizes regret rather than emotional sadness.)
Antonyms
fortunately (Expresses the opposite idea, showing that something turned out well instead of badly.)
Collocations
sadly lacking
|sadly mistaken
|sadly missed
Themes
emotions
|opinions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Sadly, we have to cancel the trip.
- Sadly, not everyone survived the accident.
- The old building is, sadly, beyond repair.
- Sadly, she never saw him again.
Learner examples
- Sadly, I lost my phone yesterday.
- Sadly, the shop is closed today.
- Sadly, we cannot come to your party.
- Sadly, it is too late to help.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sadly
IPA
GB/sˈædli/
US/sˈædli/
Syllables & stress
sadly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sadly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sadly
- Plural: sadlies
Word family
Expressions
sadly lacking
1/sˈædli lˈækɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Not having enough of something important
Not having enough of something important or needed.
Examples
- The report is sadly lacking in detail.
- The team is sadly lacking experience in this area.
sadly missed
1/sˈædli mˈɪst/
fixed phrase
Greatly missed after loss or absence
Missed a lot after someone or something is gone.
Examples
- She will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
- This tradition is sadly missed in modern times.
sadly mistaken
1/sˈædli mɪstˈeɪkən/
fixed phrase
Completely wrong about something
Very wrong about something, often in a way that will cause problems.
Examples
- If you think I will agree to that, you are sadly mistaken.
- They were sadly mistaken about how easy it would be.