sad to say

This page is about the conversational phrase sad to say

Meaning

You can say this when describing something that's unfortunate or disappointing.

For example

  • "How's Ivan's sister doing?"
    "She's back in hospital, sad to say."

  • "Will our children be better off than us?"
    "Probably not, sad to say. They'll be poorer and their lives will be harder."

Note:
Synonym of "unfortunately"

Quick Quiz

Dave said, "Jim's in jail, sad to say." Dave is probably

a. Jim's victim

b. Jim's friend

c. Jim's enemy
a) Jim's victim b) Jim's friend c) Jim's enemy

Contributor: Matt Errey