sadlier
sadlier is the comparative form of sadly.
Meaning of sadly
Adverb
sadly (comparative sadlier or more sadly, superlative sadliest or most sadly)
- In a sad manner; sorrowfully.
- “Only when we climb up can we see it,” he said sadly.
- Synonyms:
- sorrowfully, ruefully, mournfully, heavily
- Unfortunately, sad to say.
- If you think you’re getting out of this place alive, you are sadly mistaken, my friend.
- Synonyms:
- unfortunately, sad to say, regrettably, regretfully, alas
- In a manner to cause sadness; badly; terribly.
- The people of Ebeltoft were once sadly plagued by them, as they plundered their pantries in a most unconscionable manner; so they consulted a very wise and pious man and his advice was, that they should hang a bell in the steeple of the church.1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 161
- Very much (of a desire etc.); dearly; urgently.
- "Don't ask me: don't make me talk of it," she answered. "I'm not fit now. I have been cruelly used and cruelly wronged. You will be kinder than ever, if you will walk on fast, and not speak to me. I sadly want to quiet myself, if I can."1859, Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White
- Deeply, completely.
- By my feythe sayd syre launcelot in that pauelione wil I lodge alle this nyghte / and soo there he alyghte doune and tayed his hors to the pauelione / and there he vnarmed hym / and there he fond a bedde / and layd hym theryn / and felle on slepe sadly1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “iiij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book VI
Questions about sadlier
- What is sadlier the comparative form of?
- Sadlier is the comparative form of sadly.
Words near sadlier in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: sadlier (page history and authors); sadly (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “sadlier.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sadlier. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
