afraid to say
idiom
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.
Examples of afraid to say in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There was a while when people were afraid to say anything about Ace.
—
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025
Everyone is afraid to say too much about Wes Anderson's newest film, The Phoenician Scheme.
—EW.com, 14 May 2025
John Malkovich knows his worth and isn't afraid to say it aloud.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Feb. 2025
Matthews has never been afraid to say what’s on his mind.
—Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Don’t be afraid to say goodbye if a friendship isn’t serving you.
—Tracy Brower, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Evaluate your current initiatives, double down on those with demonstrable returns and don’t be afraid to say no to projects without a clear path to profitability.
—Sherzod Odilov, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
If there’s something to be said, Roach isn’t afraid to say it.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2024
The past two years have also seen multiple disappearances and kidnappings of journalists and other activists, some of whom were freed after several weeks or months in detention but have been too afraid to say who kidnapped them or why.
—Ahmed Rashid, Foreign Affairs, 19 July 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025
Everyone is afraid to say too much about Wes Anderson's newest film, The Phoenician Scheme.
—EW.com, 14 May 2025
John Malkovich knows his worth and isn't afraid to say it aloud.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Feb. 2025
Matthews has never been afraid to say what’s on his mind.
—Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Don’t be afraid to say goodbye if a friendship isn’t serving you.
—Tracy Brower, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Evaluate your current initiatives, double down on those with demonstrable returns and don’t be afraid to say no to projects without a clear path to profitability.
—Sherzod Odilov, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
If there’s something to be said, Roach isn’t afraid to say it.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2024
The past two years have also seen multiple disappearances and kidnappings of journalists and other activists, some of whom were freed after several weeks or months in detention but have been too afraid to say who kidnapped them or why.
—Ahmed Rashid, Foreign Affairs, 19 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Afraid to say.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afraid%20to%20say. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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