# sorely

/ˈsɔɹɫi/ (US) · /sˈɔːli/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sorely
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. in a painful way

adverb · CEFR C2 · Literary

in a way that causes physical or mental pain.

For teachers: in a manner that causes or reflects physical pain or acute mental distress.

- He sighed sorely as he looked at the ruins of his childhood home.
- The wounded soldier groaned sorely, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the medics worked to stabilize him.

Teaching tip: This physical sense is less common in modern speech; learners will mostly encounter it in older literature or formal poetry.

## Examples

- I will sorely miss my friends when I move away.
- The team's star player was sorely missed during the championship game after his sudden injury.
- The city's infrastructure was sorely tested by the record-breaking rainfall, revealing decades of neglect in the drainage systems.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.