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.

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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

References in periodicals archive ?

It was a grind to say the least,'' said Thacher, who recorded the opening point in the tiebreaker before relinquishing the next four.

SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS' TENNIS: H.-W.'S THACHER LOSES SOUTHERN SECTION CROWN IN TIEBREAKER

It's bad enough that Sam is from California and his mother Galaxy was a bit different, to say the least.

Blacker, Terence. Boy 2 girl

A short film that she describes as "The Virgin Suicides meets Heathers meets Welcome to the Dollhouse," Spare Me was produced under out-of-the-ordinary circumstances, to say the least.

Guinevere Turner

One-of-a-kind, to say the least, and already causing a stir among prospective buyers.

Woolworth Building to sell 27 stories as condos

Gobel's brief reign at the Iowa Christian Coalition has been colorful to say the least.

Iowa Christian Coalition In Disarray After Forbes `Dirty Tricks' Flap

For an institution whose authority is based on its ethical substance, the church's policy of choosing simply to ignore the views of professional architectural associations is, to say the least, outrageous.

A minor masterpiece of modern church building in Nicosia, by one of Cyprus' most distinguished architects, is being ruined by unsympathetic alterations

Yet climate modeler Jerry Mahlman comments, "That's a funny assertion, to say the least.

Arctic shows no signs of greenhouse warmth

The response to DALIAN FUSHI's presentation has been enthusiastic, to say the least, with virtually every targeted investment group expressing interest in participating in the PIPE financing," stated Chris Bickel, chairman and chief executive officer of S3 Investment Company.

S3 Investment Company Announces Completion of DALIAN FUSHI Road Show and High Level of Interest by U.S. Investment Community

IT'S out of the ordinary, to say the least, for a former governor to re-enter state politics and run for attorney general.

EDITORIAL CANDOR IN LAW ENFORCEMENT BROWN FOR DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

This struggling little family, dysfunctional to say the least, has its happy times, especially when Pa is put into jail for six months or so, and June and her Ma and the quiet Rhett rent an old house, June is able to attend school and make some friends.

Easton, Kelly. Walking on air

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.

Workin' the show

When documentary filmmaker Tom Shepard, who is gay, read an article in a local newspaper in 1998 about straight 13-year-old Steven Cozza and his campaign against antigay discrimination within the Boy Scouts of America, he recalls, "I was a little incredulous, to say the least.

SCOUTS DIRECTOR

The responsibilities spelled out in the AIA's standardized agreement are formidable, to say the least.

Architects now entering construction management

The difference in age estimates between the two types of carbon samples from the same bone is, to say the least, significant.

New dates for 'early' tools

So the ability to influence the market by how you manage LNG is questionable to say the least," Gordon Shearer of Poten & Partners said in an interview with Natural Gas Intelligence.

Meeting of LNG Exporters About Price Controls Alarms some U.S. Consumers, NGI Reports