sorely

adverb

sore·​ly ˈsȯr-lē How to pronounce sorely (audio)
1
: in a sore manner : painfully
2
: very, extremely
sorely needed changes

Examples of sorely in a Sentence

You will be sorely missed. She provided some sorely needed help. The house is sorely in need of paint. He is sorely lacking in social skills.
Recent Examples on the Web The site is sorely needed, according to officials: The city’s housing needs assessment in 2020 found that Sedona had an unfulfilled need for 1,260 affordable housing units. Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024 An invasion would shut down that effort or at least put it at grave risk at the moment it is most sorely needed, Sullivan said. Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 And the world-premiere comedy, running through April 7, is the first Latine commission in the 100-year history of the Tony-winning Pasadena Playhouse — a landmark worth celebrating, though sorely overdue for a Los Angeles theater company. Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Thankfully, the London Dungeon act will have the rehearsals and resources Willy’s Chocolate Experience sorely lacked — outraged parents called the police and demanded refunds once the pop-up was shut down. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Palace Addresses Rumors and Conspiracy Theories About Kate Middleton's Health in New Statement Still, Princess Kate's presence is sorely missed, and Prince William has regularly received well wishes for his wife during his recent royal engagements. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 But in the past two seasons, that has flipped: Stanford is in the top 100 in offensive efficiency but sorely lacking on defense (157th last season, 144th this season). Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 That sort of focus has been sorely lacking for decades. Justin Ling, WIRED, 19 Feb. 2024 In a world that can sometimes feel sorely lacking in love and loving-kindness, there’s no better advice than that. Allison Hope, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sorely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sorely was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sorely

Cite this Entry

“Sorely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorely. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sorely

adverb
sore·​ly ˈsō(ə)r-lē How to pronounce sorely (audio)
ˈsȯ(ə)r-
: in a sore manner

More from Merriam-Webster on sorely

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