sorely

[sawr-lee, sohr-] / ˈsɔr li, ˈsoʊr- /

ADVERB

extremely

Synonyms

STRONGEST

acutely badly greatly sadly severely woefully

STRONG

painfully

WEAK

distressfully grievously heartbrokenly very

ADVERB

badly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

greatly woefully

STRONG

painfully

WEAK

extremely grievously

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.

"The Godfather is a page turner," Trigiani wrote, "but when I searched for the matriarch, she was sorely missing."

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

He will shake up a stagnant institution at a time when change is sorely needed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

A response was sorely needed and the Newcastle head coach attempted to jolt his side by wielding the axe.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

This disgraced girl sorely needs that empathy herself.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Women could not make it down the icy slopes and therefore missed days of wages they sorely needed.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison