Meaning & use

regrettably

adverb·Academic

Unfortunately; in a way that causes or deserves regret.

See it in a sentence

Regrettably, the flight was canceled just an hour before departure.

He regrettably missed his sister's wedding due to a last-minute work emergency.

A note on using this word

Regrettably often opens a sentence to soften bad news formally, while 'sadly' feels slightly more personal and conversational.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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