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

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

Paris — Noah Lyles is a charismatic, boisterous athlete who is not afraid to say what’s on his mind in his effort to push track and field’s profile higher in the sporting world. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2024

Tom Selleck prefers to stay off the grid, and isn't afraid to say so. —Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024

Our moms shouldn’t have to beg for their lives, and Rachel Hardeman isn’t afraid to say so. —Rachel Hardeman, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024

Don’t be afraid to say yes to unfamiliar experiences offered to you. —Susan Johnston, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024

Today’s hosts are, frankly, afraid to say anything bad at all on network TV. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024

Don't be afraid to say no when necessary, and focus on getting done what really matters to you. —Luciana Paulise, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

Helen Molesworth is not afraid to say what’s on her mind. —Grace Edquist, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2023