needless to say — emphasising the obvious
expressionC1IELTS 7+formaloccasional
Used to introduce information that is so clear or expected that it almost does not need to be stated, but is mentioned for emphasis or clarity.
Say it like a native
Textbook It is hardly necessary to state that we were delighted.
Native Needless to say, we were thrilled.
The chunk is the natural opener; the literal 'hardly necessary to state' is clunky.
Pattern: needless to say, [clause]
In use
- Needless to say, everyone was thrilled when we finally finished the project.daily life
- Needless to say, technology has completely transformed the way we communicate nowadays. Most people rely on their phones and social media to stay in touch, which is very different from how things were even a decade ago.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Needless to say that he was late.
✓ Needless to say, he was late.
No 'that' — it's followed directly by the clause, after a comma.
Common collocations
needless to say— needless to say,, needless to say, it, but needless to say
Don't confuse it
'Of course' can also show something is obvious, but 'needless to say' is more formal and often signals that the speaker is about to state something for emphasis, even though it is already clear.