Word.ws English Dictionary

if I may say so

if I may say so adverb: used to soften the effect of a statement that is self-aggrandizing or is embarrassing to the listener.

Adverb

if I may say so

  1. Used to soften the effect of a statement that is self-aggrandizing or is embarrassing to the listener.

Forms of if I may say so

alternative formif I might say so
alternative formif I may say so myself

Questions about if I may say so

What does if I may say so mean?
If I may say so means used to soften the effect of a statement that is self-aggrandizing or is embarrassing to the listener.
What part of speech is if I may say so?
If I may say so is an adverb.

Words near if I may say so in the dictionary

  1. if I had a nickel for every time
  2. if I had wheels, I'd be a wagon
  3. if I may
  4. if I may be so bold
  5. if I may make so bold
  6. if I may say so
  7. if I might be so bold
  8. if I say so myself
  9. if I were you
  10. if I'm honest
  11. if I'm lying, I'm dying

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: if I may say so (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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