Forms: α. 1 sarlice, 3 særliche, 5 sarely; Sc. 6 sairlye, -lie, 6– sairly. β. 4 sorly, 5 soreli(e, 5– sorely. [OE. sárlíce (f. sár SORE a.1), = OFris. sêrlîke, MSw. sārlika (-liga): cf. ON. sárliga.]
In most senses tending to become a mere intensive.
1. In a manner expressive of great pain, grief or distress.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxvi. § 2. Ða onsac se Wisdom sarlice & cwæð [etc.].
971. Blickl. Hom., 225. Þa wæron hie ealle sona unrote, & sarlice ʓebærdon.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. xxi. 16. Heo … sæt hire feorran sarlice wepende.
c. 1055. Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia, VIII. 309. Oft seo brodiʓe henn, þeah heo sarlice clocciʓe, heo … þa briddas ʓewyrmð.
1748. Thomson, Cast. Indol., I. xxi. They cannot fly, But often each way look, and often sorely sigh.
1841. Longf., Childr. Lord’s Supper, 348. Each bowed him, weeping full sorely.
2. In such a manner as to cause great pain or bodily injury; severely. Also fig.
a. 900. Cynewulf, Juliana, 571. [He] sohte … hu he sarlicast þurh þa wyrrestan witu meahte feorhcwale findan.
a. 1000. Soul & Body, 73. Þe sculon her … slitan sarlice swearte wihta.
1553. Douglas’s Æneid, II. (1710), 52/36. Baith hir tendir handes War strenzeit sairly boundin hard with bandes.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. ix. 29. The wicked engine … secretly did glyde Into his hart, which it did sorely gryde.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., V. i. 18. I did so: but thou strik’st me Sorely, to say I did.
1650. B., Discolliminium, 32. Had it once left sucking the Mothers breasts so sorely.
1695. Ld. Preston, Boeth., III. 119. Like that angry Insect … they sorely wound th’ Enjoyer too.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, V. I. 173. Wilt thou be angry with me if I drive Mars, sorely wounded, from the battle-field? Ibid., XIV. II. 68. These Bore him to Ilium sorely suffering.
b. In a manner involving mental pain, distress or dissatisfaction.
In OE. the sense ‘regrettably, lamentably,’ occurs.
c. 1450. Godstow Reg., 633. Hit is vn-semeli … þat contrauersi … lawfully endid sholde be soreli I-meuid ageine.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 61. Rycht sorelie musing in my mynde.
1567. Satir. Poems Reform., iv. 157. I speik not but pruife, quhilk I may sairlie rew.
1722. De Foe, Plague, 75. Sorely I repented of my rashness.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xxix. I know my failing, and … so sorely dread that I cannot conquer it.
1865. Trollope, Belton Est., xxxi. 376. She sorrowed to think that he should want such a thing so sorely.
1870. J. E. T. Rogers, Hist. Glean., Ser. II. 134. Sorely against his will, Walpole was at last driven into war.
3. In such a manner as to press hardly or severely upon a person or thing.
c. 1205. Lay., 6805. Særliche heo feohte, & fælden heore cnihtes.
c. 1400. Melayne, 265. Þe Sarazene semblede so Sarely Þat þay felde faste of oure cheualrye.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3692. Sodenly þo sailes were sorely bestad.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., IV. vi. 19. I haue done ill, Of which I do accuse my selfe so sorely, That I will ioy no more. Ibid. (1613), Hen. VIII., IV. ii. 14. [He] brought him forward As a man sorely tainted, to his Answer.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Warrs, 750. They begirt the Castle, and the sixth day after recovered it, being sorely assaulted and withall wanting of provision.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 253. I would be sorely put to it for lodging.
1779. Warner, in Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1844), IV. 259. I called upon the old duchess, who is ‘sorely badly,’ as they say in Lincolnshire, with her old complaint.
1820. Scott, Monast., xxxvi. Of these most were mounted on steeds which had been sorely jaded.
1846. Browning, Soul’s Trag., Wks. 1863, II. 460. The very measures of precaution, which pressed soreliest on himself.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xlix. (1856), 465. It is an amorphous mass, so worn that it must have been sorely wrought before its release from the glacier.
4. To a great extent; in a high degree.
1562. Winȝet, Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 5. Hes not mony … in thair perfite beleif … sairlye stummerit?
1605. Shaks., Lear, II. iv. 304. Alacke the night comes on, and the high windes Do sorely ruffle.
1704. Swift, Batt. Bks., Misc. (1711), 239. Who had tore off his Title-Page, sorely defac’d one half his Leaves [etc.].
1786. Burns, To a Louse, i. Your impudence protects you sairly.
1831. Scott, Ct. Robt., vii. ‘Thou objectest sorely to my complexion,’ said the negro.
1855. Dickens, Lett. (1880), I. 399. The Association is sorely in want of able men.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, lv. To stay among them meant death, and his life was sorely needed by the Church of God.
5. Comb., as sorely-tempted, -vexed, -worn adjs.
1828. United States’ Telegraph, 20 Dec., 3/4. We allude to the great and sorely-vexed question of the powers of the federal government upon the subject of internal improvements.
1870. C. J. Vaughan, Earnest Words (1878), 154. The sorely-tempted soul.
1891. Kipling, Light that Failed, ii. (1900), 16. A pair of sorely-worn riding-breeches.
