it could have been worse
01
used sarcastically to say that the situation is already quite bad or that the outcome is disappointing, despite the attempt to find a positive spin on it
例
I failed the exam — it could have been worse, I could ’ve been kicked out of school altogether.
The restaurant got my order wrong — it could have been worse, they could have served me something completely inedible.
02
used to express a sense of relief or gratitude that a situation or outcome, although not ideal, was not as bad as it could have been
