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It could be worse

Phrase of the day

Discover a new phrase each day to use in your English! These are special phrases and sayings that English speakers use all the time, but you don't often see these phrases in English course books or other study material. Visit daily to learn some popular English phrases on a regular basis.

8 May 2026

It could be worse

We use this expression to say that the situation may be negative, but we are thinking positively about it.

Written: Yes

Spoken: Yes

Formal: No

Informal: Yes

Example 1

My friend fell over and sprained her ankle last night. Those stairs are dangerous.

It could be worse - I know someone who actually broke her leg falling down those stairs.

Example 2

The man has just told me the new computers won't be here until Friday.

It could be worse - once we had to wait 6 weeks for new equipment!

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Apr2026
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