say

/seɪ/

/seɪ/

Other forms: said; says; saying

To have your say means to get an opportunity to deliver your opinion on something. If you're at a loud and hostile town council meeting, you might not get a chance to have your say unless you shout it.

Say means to speak, so any time you utter a word, you're saying it. If you write an editorial about dogs in the paper, that's also a form of saying. Someone could quote you as saying "dogs should be worshipped." You can say something with your body language, too. Like most common words, say is very old, coming from the Old English sęcgan, meaning "to tell."

Definitions of say

1. verb

   utter aloud
   “She said `Hello' to everyone in the office”

   type of:

   express, give tongue to, utter, verbalise, verbalize

   articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
2. verb

   express in words
   “He said that he wanted to marry her”

   synonyms: state, tell

   types:

   lay out, present, represent

   bring forward and present to the mind

   misstate

   state something incorrectly

   answer, reply, respond

   react verbally

   introduce, precede, preface, premise

   furnish with a preface or introduction

   announce, declare

   announce publicly or officially

   articulate, enunciate, vocalise, vocalize

   express or state clearly

   get out

   express with difficulty

   declare

   state emphatically and authoritatively

   declare

   make a declaration (of dutiable goods) to a customs official

   mention, note, observe, remark

   make mention of

   add, append, supply

   state or say further

   explain

   define

   give

   convey or reveal information

   sum, sum up, summarise, summarize

   be a summary of

   plead

   enter a plea, as in courts of law

   profess

   confess one's faith in, or allegiance to

   argue, reason

   present reasons and arguments

   argue, indicate

   give evidence of

   call back

   return or repeat a telephone call

   counter

   speak in response

   field

   answer adequately or successfully

   sass

   answer back in an impudent or insolent manner

   come back, rejoin, repay, retort, return, riposte

   answer back

   condemn

   declare or judge unfit for use or habitation

   promulgate

   put a law into effect by formal declaration

   bless, consecrate, hallow, sanctify

   render holy by means of religious rites

   account, answer for

   furnish a justifying analysis or explanation

   advise, propose, suggest

   make a proposal, declare a plan for something

   assure, promise

   make a promise or commitment

   promise

   promise to undertake or give

   take the Fifth, take the Fifth Amendment

   refuse to testify by invoking the Fifth Amendment, which states that nobody may be forced to testify as a witness against himself or herself

   preamble

   make a preliminary introduction, usually to a formal document

   prologise, prologize, prologuize

   write or speak a prologue

   condemn, doom, sentence

   pronounce a sentence on (somebody) in a court of law

   spin

   twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation

   exclaim, proclaim, promulgate

   state or announce

   profess

   state freely

   affirm, assert, aver, avow, swan, swear, verify

   declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true

   depone, depose, swear

   make a deposition; declare under oath

   attest, bear witness, take the stand, testify

   give testimony in a court of law

   quote

   name the price of

   insert, slip in, sneak in, stick in

   insert casually

   toss in

   add casually to a conversation

   decree

   issue a decree

   animadvert, opine, sound off, speak out, speak up

   express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation

   bridle

   respond to the reins, as of horses

   comment, notice, point out, remark

   make or write a comment on

   count out

   declare the loser

   cast

   deposit

   type of:

   express, give tongue to, utter, verbalise, verbalize

   articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
3. verb

   state as one's opinion or judgement; declare
   “I say let's forget this whole business”

   synonyms:

   state, tell

   express in words
4. verb

   report or maintain
   “He said it was too late to intervene in the war”

   “The registrar says that I owe the school money”

   synonyms: allege, aver

   types:

   plead

   make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding, especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts

   demur

   enter a demurrer

   type of:

   assert, asseverate, maintain

   state categorically
5. verb

   give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
   “I said to him to go home”

   synonyms: enjoin, order, tell

   types:

   direct

   command with authority

   instruct

   give instructions or directions for some task

   command, require

   make someone do something

   call, send for

   order, request, or command to come

   warn

   ask to go away

   charge

   instruct or command with authority

   charge

   instruct (a jury) about the law, its application, and the weighing of evidence

   burden, charge, saddle

   impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to

   requisition

   make a formal request for official services

   cite, summon, summons

   call in an official matter, such as to attend court

   beep

   call, summon, or alert with a beeper

   call back, recall

   summon to return

   call in

   summon to a particular activity or employment

   lift

   call to stop the hunt or to retire, as of hunting dogs

   muster

   call to duty, military service, jury duty, etc.

   disallow, forbid, interdict, nix, prohibit, proscribe, veto

   command against

   hail

   call for

   summon

   ask to come

   stet

   printing: direct that a matter marked for omission or correction is to be retained (used in the imperative)

   call up, mobilise, mobilize, rally

   call to arms; of military personnel

   type of:

   request

   ask (a person) to do something
6. verb

   have or contain a certain wording or form
   “What does the law say?”

   synonyms: read

   read

   interpret something that is written or printed

   type of:

   feature, have

   have as a feature
7. verb

   speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
   “I cannot say `zip wire'”

   synonyms: articulate, enounce, enunciate, pronounce, sound out

   types:

   twang

   pronounce with a nasal twang

   devoice

   utter with tense vocal chords

   raise

   pronounce (vowels) by bringing the tongue closer to the roof of the mouth

   lilt

   articulate in a very careful and rhythmic way

   palatalise, palatalize

   pronounce a consonant with the tongue against the palate

   nasalise, nasalize

   pronounce with a lowered velum

   nasalise, nasalize

   speak nasally or through the nose

   mispronounce, misspeak

   pronounce a word incorrectly

   aspirate

   pronounce with aspiration; of stop sounds

   sound, vocalise, vocalize, voice

   utter with vibrating vocal chords

   retroflex

   articulate (a consonant) with the tongue curled back against the palate

   subvocalise, subvocalize

   articulate without making audible sounds

   syllabise, syllabize

   utter with distinct articulation of each syllable

   drawl

   lengthen and slow down or draw out

   labialise, labialize, round

   pronounce with rounded lips

   lisp

   speak with a lisp

   accent, accentuate, stress

   put stress on; utter with an accent

   vocalise, vocalize, vowelise, vowelize

   pronounce as a vowel

   click

   produce a click

   trill

   pronounce with a trill, of the phoneme `r'

   sibilate

   pronounce with an initial sibilant

   flap

   pronounce with a flap, of alveolar sounds

   explode

   cause to burst as a result of air pressure; of stop consonants like /p/, /t/, and /k/

   roll

   pronounce with a roll, of the phoneme /r/

   chirk

   make a shrill creaking, squeaking, or noise, as of a door, mouse, or bird

   quaver, waver

   give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency
8. verb

   express a supposition
   “Let us say that he did not tell the truth”

   “Let's say you had a lot of money--what would you do?”

   synonyms: suppose

   type of:

   speculate

   talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion
9. verb

   recite or repeat a fixed text
   “Say grace”

   “She said her `Hail Mary'”

   type of:

   recite

   repeat aloud from memory
10. noun

    the chance to speak
    “let him have his say”

    type of:

    chance, opportunity

    a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
11. verb

    communicate or express nonverbally
    “What does this painting say?”

    “Did his face say anything about how he felt?”

    type of:

    convey

    make known; pass on, of information
12. verb

    indicate
    “The clock says noon”

    type of:

    read, record, register, show

    indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments