say
verb (used with object)
to utter or pronounce; speak.
say
1 American
[say]
/ seɪ /
verb (used with object)
said,
saying
-
to utter or pronounce; speak.
What did you say? I said “Hello!”
-
to express in words; state; declare; word.
Say it clearly and simply. It's hard to know how to say this tactfully.
-
to state as an opinion or judgment.
I say her plan is the better one.
-
to be certain, precise, or assured about; determine.
It is hard to say what is wrong.
-
to recite or repeat.
to say one's prayers.
-
to report or allege; maintain.
People say he will resign.
-
to express (a message, viewpoint, etc.), as through a literary or other artistic medium.
a writer with something to say.
-
to indicate or show.
What does your watch say?
-
to assume as a hypothesis or estimate.
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that it's true.
verb (used without object)
said,
saying
adverb
-
It's, say, 14 feet long.
-
for example.
If you serve, say tuna fish and potato chips, it will cost much less.
noun
-
what a person says or has to say.
-
the right or opportunity to speak, decide, or exercise influence.
to have one's say in choosing the candidate.
-
a turn to say something.
It is now my say.
interjection
idioms
say
2
American
[say]
/ seɪ /
verb (used with object)
say
3
American
[say]
/ seɪ /
noun
Say
4
American
[say]
/ seɪ /
noun
-
Jean Baptiste 1767–1832, French economist.
-
Thomas, 1787–1834, U.S. entomologist.
say
1
British
/ seɪ /
verb
-
to speak, pronounce, or utter
-
(also intr) to express (an idea) in words; tell
we asked his opinion but he refused to say
-
(also intr; may take a clause as object) to state (an opinion, fact, etc) positively; declare; affirm
-
to recite
to say grace
-
(may take a clause as object) to report or allege
they say we shall have rain today
-
(may take a clause as object) to take as an assumption; suppose
let us say that he is lying
-
(may take a clause as object) to convey by means of artistic expression
the artist in this painting is saying that we should look for hope
-
to make a case for
there is much to be said for either course of action
-
(usually passive) to persuade or coax (someone) to do something
If I hadn't been said by her, I wouldn't be in this fix
-
to be so obvious as to need no explanation
-
informal an exclamation of surprise
-
even; and indeed
-
in other words; more explicitly
-
as well as; even disregarding
he was warmly dressed in a shirt and heavy jumper, to say nothing of a thick overcoat
-
without the slightest exaggeration; at the very least
adverb
-
approximately
there were, say, 20 people present
-
for example
choose a number, say, four
noun
-
the right or chance to speak
let him have his say
-
authority, esp to influence a decision
he has a lot of say in the company's policy
-
a statement of opinion
you've had your say, now let me have mine
interjection
say
2
British
/ seɪ /
noun
say
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of say1
First recorded before 900; Middle English seyen, seggen, Old English secgan; cognate with Dutch zeggen, German sagen, Old Norse segja; akin to saw 3
Origin of say2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English saien, sayen, shortening of assaien, assayen to assay
Origin of say3
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sai(e), a kind of serge, from Old French saie, saye “long-skirted coat,” from Medieval Latin saia, sagum, a kind of cloth, from Latin saga, plural of sagum “coarse woolen cloak, soldier's cloak,” from Gaulish sogom
Explanation
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."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Without an Ebola test being taken at any point during his travels, it is hard to say exactly when he contracted the virus.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Aaliyah: "Every time you go to the GP when they ask for family history, you have to say you don't know"
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Police in Philadelphia say Anthropic alerted it this week that one of its artificial-intelligence models submitted a false homicide tip through PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
AST SpaceMobile could become a valuable ally for wireless carriers competing with SpaceX’s satellite-to-phone service, analysts say.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
I can’t say it out loud, but I feel the loss of that warmth the crowd gave to me.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
“You want to make sure everyone knows you’re coming from a place of love and care and concern. Say, ‘I want to be a support to you, not control you.’”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
The company’s research papers—including “Reasoning Models Don’t Always Say What They Think”—line up with a growing body of work from academia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Say Agency had said it was working to resolve the issue with the stadium before confirming they could not go ahead earlier.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Say there’s an amendment to the city’s General Plan, which guides land use decisions, or a tweak to one of the neighborhood community plans that oversee development in areas like Hollywood or Boyle Heights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
"Say," Bill said, "what about this Brett business?"
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
In a post on Instagram, the 27-year-old said the threat involved "the safety of my fans, the venue staff and my team".
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
"This is an indelible stain on the country of Norway" he said, adding "we will not forget".
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
"We did not educate the people who found education difficult - and I was one of them," he said, having learned to read as a youngster in prison.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
On the Queen's literacy campaign, he said she provided an important symbolic focus.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“I remember the time you dropped my favorite doll into the sewer and then ran to my room and said, ‘Yo, Sasha’s dead.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Shortly afterwards, the 85-year-old reacted to the news from Nuremberg's Palace of Justice by saying "it must be a joke" and thanked those who had gathered to applaud her.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Ms. James kept saying her office is focused on civil matters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Seibert’s ex-wife also commented on the post, saying she remained good friends with him and that the death was heartbreaking for his family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
In August, Leavitt announced her resignation, saying she wanted to focus on her family.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
At last he looked up from his task, saying, “I’ve just thought of a plan, and I think it’ll work.”
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
