to say the least


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to say the least

Without any exaggeration; to put it plainly or mildly. We were disappointed, to say the least, but we decided to put it behind us and get on with the project. My roommates were making out in the living room when I came home last night. It was awkward, to say the least.
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to say the least

at the very least; without overemphasizing the subject; to put it mildly. We were not at all pleased with her work—to say the least. When they had an accident, they were upset to say the least.
See also: least, say

to say the least

Not to exaggerate, as in When the ring turned up in the lost and found, she was delighted, to say the least. This idiom was first recorded in 1809.
See also: least, say

to say the least

COMMON People use to say the least to show that their real opinion is even stronger than what they have just said. There was something odd about the situation, to say the least. What they discovered was interesting, to say the least.
See also: least, say

to say the least (or the least of it)

used as an understatement or euphemism to imply that the reality is more extreme, usually worse.
1997 Spectator References in Mr Cole's letter to the ‘bottle’ were, to say the least, distasteful.
See also: least, say

to ˌsay the (very) ˈleast

used to say that you are using the least strong way of saying something: I’m not very happy with his work, to say the least.
See also: least, say
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If you haven't, you've missed out on a chance to connect with tech professionals and learn about the latest in hardware, software, and the Internet, to say the least of getting the same information the tech pros get.
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