sad to know

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sad to know" is correct and usable in written English.
It is often used to express sorrow or regret about having knowledge of a certain fact. For example, "It is sad to know that so many people are experiencing hardship due to the pandemic."

✓ Grammatically correct

Expressing regret or disappointment

Discussing unfortunate situations

Sharing feelings about negative information

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

Are we sad to know Joe McKnight's killer was walking around free after the shooting?

The Guardian - Opinion

It made me sad to know we did not get to see many other beautiful lives because of space constraints.

The New York Times - Magazine

It makes me pretty sad to know that Daft Punk's manager probably knows which member is which robot.

The New Yorker

But, he said: "It's just so sad to know that we happen to be dealing with loss of life and a coma over a vehicle.

The New York Times

EVEN if you are not passionate about penguins, it's a safe bet that, at least, you like them and you'd be sad to know they are disappearing.

The New York Times

"The children were sad to know that people live in wars like this," said Luke Thomas, 37, a tour guide from Liberia.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

And makes it all the sadder to know that fully half of the English colonists died during their first year at Plymouth.

The Washington Post

"He's a god, and I know I'm going to cry because, for all the celebrations, it's a sad, sad day to know he's leaving.

The Guardian - Sport

Could anyone out there be sad enough to know or to be able to work out who this might be?" asks Alan Stobart.

The Guardian - Sport

Manguel is old, wise and sad enough to know that the future belongs to the users of the Kindle reading device and to oafish librarians who discard books as landfill after transferring their contents to disks or CD-Roms that may be illegible in a decade.

The Guardian - Books

Its quite sad but eerie to know that David as a little boy of 13-15 graced this house with his presence.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "sad to know" to express a feeling of sorrow or regret when you learn about something negative or unfortunate. It is often used to convey empathy or understanding in response to someone's situation.

Common error

Avoid using "sad to know" in situations where the information is trivial or doesn't warrant a strong emotional response. Overusing it can diminish its impact and make your writing sound insincere.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sad to know" functions as an emotional response to a piece of information. It expresses the speaker's or writer's feeling of sorrow, regret, or disappointment upon learning something negative. The Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

HuffPost

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Science

5%

Academia

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "sad to know" is a commonly used and grammatically correct way to express sorrow or regret upon learning about something negative. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and widespread usage. It functions primarily to convey empathy and understanding, suitable for various contexts from news reporting to personal communication. While generally neutral in register, it's best to avoid overuse in trivial situations to maintain its emotional impact. Alternatives such as "sorry to hear" or "disappointed to find out" can offer nuanced expressions of similar sentiments.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it saddens me to learn

Highlights the feeling of sadness upon learning the information.

I'm saddened to see

Highlights the feeling of sadness or grief experienced upon seeing something.

regret to learn

Emphasizes the feeling of regret associated with the information received.

disappointed to find out

Highlights the disappointment experienced upon discovering something.

sorry to hear

Focuses on expressing sympathy upon hearing bad news.

unfortunate to discover

Indicates that the discovery of the information was unlucky or unfavorable.

it's a pity to realize

Expresses a sense of regret or disappointment about realizing something.

it grieves me to know

Emphasizes the deep sorrow or grief caused by the information.

it's regrettable to acknowledge

Focuses on the regrettable nature of having to acknowledge certain information.

I'm disheartened to see

Highlights the feeling of being disheartened or discouraged upon seeing something.

FAQs

How can I use "sad to know" in a sentence?

You can use "sad to know" to express your feeling when receiving bad news. For example, "It's "sad to know" that the company is laying off employees."

What can I say instead of "sad to know"?

You can use alternatives like "sorry to hear", "disappointed to find out", or "it saddens me to learn" depending on the context.

Is "sad to know" formal or informal?

"Sad to know" is generally considered neutral in formality and is appropriate for both professional and informal settings.

What's the difference between "sad to hear" and "sad to know"?

"Sad to hear" is typically used when someone is sharing bad news verbally, while ""sad to know"" is used when you've learned about something unfortunate through any means.