afraid to say

phrase

variants or sorry to say or regret to say

—used as a way of expressing one's disappointment, regret, or sorrow

Most of us worked very hard, but she, I'm afraid to say, did no work at all.

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“Afraid to say.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/afraid%20to%20say. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

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