sadlysad‧ly /ˈsædli/ ●●○ adverb 
Peter shook his head sadly.2[sentence adverb] unfortunately: Sadly, the business failed.3very much – used when talking about bad situations or states: The garden’s been sadly neglected. Good restaurants were sadly lacking. He was a popular man who will be sadly missed. I’m afraid you’re going to be sadly disappointed. If you think you’ll get any money from him, you’re sadly mistaken.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Sadly, Anne suffered from emotional problems most of her life.
- Sadly, this fine old theatre was destroyed by fire in 1993.
- Alice was rushed to hospital, but sadly she died two hours later.
- Low wages are sadly typical in service industries.
- Sam looked sadly out the window.
- Along with her husband, she escaped to Britain in 1938 but, sadly, her marriage failed.
- From Tuesday weekly newspapers may be left with a burden which, sadly, many will be unable to carry.
- Nick made a start at restoring the ravaged wreck, but sadly died before much was done.
- The man nodded sadly as though Hicks represented a mode of behavior with which he was wearily familiar.
- There are also, sadly, some which are not so beneficial.
- This was all legal and proper, but in the execution of this work things went sadly wrong.
Longman Language Activatorwhen you wish that something had not happened or was not true
use this to show that you wish something had not happened, or you wish something was not true: · There's nothing I can do about it, unfortunately.· Unfortunately, Dr Cole cannot spend as long with each patient as she would like.· We took some fantastic photos, but unfortunately the film got damaged.
unfortunately - use this to talk about events or situations that are very sad: · Sadly, this fine old theatre was destroyed by fire in 1993.· Alice was rushed to hospital, but sadly she died two hours later.
spoken say this to show that you feel disappointed or sad about something that has happened: · It's a pity about the weather - it was so nice yesterday.it's a pity/shame (that): · It's a shame you can't come with us.what a pity/shame! (=say this to show that you feel sad or sympathetic about something): · "Janet didn't get that job." "Oh, what a pity!"a real/terrible shame: · They've cut down all those beautiful trees. It's a terrible shame.
spoken use this to show that you feel upset about something sad that has happened, and you wish the situation was different: it's sad (that): · It's so sad that your father can't be here to see this.it's sad when: · It's sad when a marriage breaks up, especially after all those years.it's very/terribly sad: · The town centre is dying, and most of the shops have closed down. It's terribly sad.
especially American use this to say you are disappointed or sad that someone could not do something, or something could not happen: · "Senator Volk's out of town." "Too bad! I wanted to meet him and talk about the campaign."too bad (that): · Too bad Dickie isn't here to enjoy the fun.· It's too bad you have to leave, just when we need you most.
spoken say this when something causes disappointment, suffering or is inconvenient etc: · The wedding was lovely. It was just unfortunate about the rain. it's unfortunate (that): · It's unfortunate that you have to travel so far to work.
British spoken say this when you wish that the fact that you have just mentioned was not true: · Now I'm too old to fall in love, more's the pity.· I'm afraid this car doesn't belong to me, more's the pity.
formal use this when you consider the existing situation to be unsatisfactory: · Regrettably Jousse's work has not been translated into English.· The poor and disadvantaged will, regrettably, be the ones to suffer as a result of the new law.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES These qualities are sadly lacking today.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
These qualities are sadly lacking today.· Adequate resources and funding, both sadly lacking at present, are also vital.· What is sadly lacking is the will to express such views and to act on them.· It turns itself off if you leave it untouched for five minutes, a feature sadly lacking on the GameBoy.· Your sister Alice was sadly lacking in that respect.· As a lover he is sadly lacking, señorita.· Again the evidence is sadly lacking, not only for the centres but also for the estates themselves.· Their kind was sadly lacking in Nikol'skaia volost' in 1922.· But one thing I do find sadly lacking is a middle-of-the-range clothes shop.
VERB· Nick made a start at restoring the ravaged wreck, but sadly died before much was done.· But we became the firmest of friends and kept in touch by letter afterwards until she sadly died.· Meticulously prepared by Geoffrey Ashton who sadly died, aged thirty-nine, before its publication.
· He is a true believer, but sadly lacks finesse.
· And, with those arch-weirdos speaking their lines with magnificent mock-seriousness, poor Jack looked sadly dull.· Her little brother sobbed, and all of them looked sadly at Bill.· I looked sadly at the sea, but stayed in my box, and after a while I fell asleep.
· The pair were steeped in junior football in the area and are sadly missed.· He will be sadly missed by all his colleagues.· He is gone too soon and will be sadly missed by his family and friends.· She will be sadly missed by her many friends and colleagues.· Her creative teaching and training of movement technique and knowledge of all aspects of movement work will be sadly missed.· Now that her mother has died, she sadly misses the interest and advice that was always forthcoming.· I shall be sadly missed in the Mountains of Mourne.
· A large portion of diarrhoea twixt guard and dog proved how sadly mistaken the vet had been.· The grunts out in the jungle thought we were always spiffy and clean, but they were sadly mistaken.
· No, they say sadly to the first question; and Yes, most definitely, to the second.
· Lost for words, he looked shyly down at her, smiling sadly so that his dark eyebrows puckered into a frown.· He smiled sadly, showing me his metal dentures.· Shiva smiled sadly and asked why not but he knew he was being unfair to Adam as well as to himself.· She smiled sadly and nodded in agreement.· My mother stands, gathers up her sobbing offspring and, smiling sadly, approaches the entrance to my retreat.
· It was more like winter than late summer, Eline thought sadly.· The napkins I had made her, I thought sadly, were also white on white.· Merrill couldn't imagine quite how this would come about; nor would it bring Elise back, she thought sadly.· He spent his time thinking sadly about his friends in Pentonville.· Perhaps he'd always secretly resented giving his name to another man's child, she thought sadly.· I was worth a try, Josie thought sadly.· No chance, she thought sadly.· And Mr Schofield's dead, Henry thought sadly, and that's that.
WORD FAMILYnounsadnesssaddoadjectivesadsaddeningverbsaddenadverbsadly
1in a way that shows that you are sad SYN unhappily: Peter shook his head sadly.2[sentence adverb] unfortunately: Sadly, the business failed.3very much – used when talking about bad situations or states: The garden’s been sadly neglected. Good restaurants were sadly lacking. He was a popular man who will be sadly missed. I’m afraid you’re going to be sadly disappointed. If you think you’ll get any money from him, you’re sadly mistaken.