"Said" Is So Last Season: Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter

Rejoice! When it comes to expressing how people talk when they're happy, there are lots of cheerful choices to use instead of "said". So learn these words from the lexicon of laughter and good vibes, and you’ll be glad you did!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cheer
    show approval or good wishes by shouting
    “Bravo,” Lili cheered, pressing her son into the folds of her apron. Krik? Krak!
  2. chortle
    laugh quietly or with restraint
    "Got enough lip for two sets of teeth," chortled the big highwayman. The Whipping Boy
  3. chuckle
    laugh quietly or with restraint
    “Adarlan’s Assassin,” he chuckled, and began walking back down the hall. Throne of Glass
  4. crow
    express pleasure verbally
    “Happy birthday, my little Jupey-Jupe!” he crows, stopping to smile as the room fills with the fragrance of Axe Peace body spray. Odd One Out
  5. exclaim
    utter aloud, often with surprise, horror, or joy
    “Oh, I forgot to show you my pigs!” he exclaimed, the gleam returning to his eyes. The Pigman
  6. giggle
    laugh nervously
    One by one they said and giggled soberly, “Good night, Mr. Griffin.” Black Like Me
  7. guffaw
    laugh boisterously
    Friends guffawed: “The odds are good; the goods are odd.” Washington Post (Nov 8, 2018)
  8. gush
    praise enthusiastically
    Spurge gushed, “There is a gorgeous glow to my country this evening.” The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge
  9. jest
    tell a joke; speak humorously
    “I’m just so glad I’m not in my nineties and being in Mel Brooks skit with the number of people who are waiting for him to do ‘Spaceballs: The Sequel,’” Mr. Pullman jested. Washington Times (Oct 17, 2017)
  10. lilt
    articulate in a very careful and rhythmic way
    He doesn’t talk, he lilts, his words taking to the air like birds. I'll Give You the Sun
  11. marvel
    express astonishment or surprise about something
    “I just don’t understand how you get so much done,” she marveled. The Lions of Little Rock
  12. rejoice
    express great happiness
    "I am not an alien!" my self rejoiced. The Guardian (Mar 22, 2013)
  13. titter
    laugh nervously
    "Now there's a weasel clever as a goat!" the fool tittered. A Clash of Kings
Created on Thu Oct 17 16:57:03 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Nov 14 08:07:26 EST 2019)

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