needless-to-say
Chunk: needless to say
Meaning & Usage
Needless to say is a transitional phrase used to introduce a consequence or reaction that is completely expected or unsurprising given the context. It functions similarly to "as you would expect."
🧲 Common Collocates
- Positioning: Always placed at the beginning of a clause, usually followed by a comma.
- Contexts: Used frequently when describing emotional reactions (anger, shock, delight) or logical outcomes of a previous statement.
💬 Contextual Examples
- He arrived two hours late for the interview. Needless to say, he didn't get the job.
- The catering company dropped the wedding cake. Needless to say, the bride was furious.
- We lost our map on the first day of the hike. Needless to say, we got completely lost.
🎴 Interactive Web Practice
Practice 1: ______ to say, the investors were very unhappy with the financial report.
Answer:
Needless Practice 2: It rained every single day of our vacation. Needless to ______, we were disappointed.
Answer:
say Practice 3: He forgot his passport at home. Needless ______ say, he missed his flight.
Answer:
to 🔗 Knowledge Base Connections
- 🔑 Parent Keyword: say
- ⚖️ Synonym Chunk: unsurprisingly