say
verb (used with object)
to utter or pronounce; speak.
say
1 American
[sey]
/ 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
[sey]
/ seɪ /
verb (used with object)
say
3
American
[sey]
/ seɪ /
noun
Say
4
American
[sey]
/ 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:
Iranian economic experts say both the agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors also rely on imports from countries such as Brazil and Turkey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
The family's legal team helped to uncover council documents which they say show asbestos was used "quite extensively" at the site during Caroline's time there in the 1990s.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
But it’s not as extreme of an intervention as Mario Draghi’s “whatever it takes” pledge to preserve the euro or Ben Bernanke’s bazooka program in response to the collapse of Lehman Brothers, experts say.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
Asked about that possibility on Monday, Bessent declined to say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
His movements are stiff and awkward, to say the least.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Does “Don’t Say Good Luck” skirt around the grim realities of cancer as cavalierly as it paints a Pinterest mood-board vision of high school?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Say the home is in an irrevocable trust with three beneficiaries, including a parent and two adult children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Say something like, “My explanation of benefits from my insurance says I only owe x amount. Where did this bill/charge come from?”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The setlist lent heavily on tracks from the album, including Some Might Say and Champagne Supernova.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Visiting the poor? Say, that’s admirable. This Lady Constance must be a good egg, as rich ladies go.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
He also said the secondary measure would not take effect immediately, arguing that the administration is trying to give “everyone the opportunity to remedy bad behavior.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Brooklyn said after looking back through her mum's life, they began to believe she was exposed to asbestos at her old high school, the old Fitzalan site in Cardiff.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
But when asked whom the president had been talking to, Bessent said he would not “name names.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Cardiff council said it would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Sancho, my brother, adventure is before us!" he said.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
According to the lawsuit, multiple Disney executives “attacked, blamed, and threatened” Bolleau and her mother for the dramatic shift in her behavior, saying that they were “extremely upset” with her performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
His superior, Abdul Samad, shows us an unmarked graveyard, saying his father is buried here, killed fighting for the Taliban.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Luxon specifically called out platforms Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook, saying they would be required to take "reasonable steps to check users are over the age of 16".
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
Days later, Attiah, who was represented by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild and Democracy Defenders Fund, filed a grievance saying she was wrongfully terminated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
“It would put you in danger,” he kept saying.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
