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:
So far, Riyadh has calibrated its responses as the Houthis test their limits, but experts on the conflict say they see little room for de-escalation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Meanwhile, German media say those injured in the attack are no longer in a life-threatening condition.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
New Zealand’s Māori people often say that food is a feeling, a memory.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
AI is useful in crafting what to say, not how to say it, she says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
When I was most scared, I acted like you,” I say, emphatic.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Say adios to Argentina: For a great number of soccer fans, Argentina evoked the feeling of getting away with something.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Another question featured on the Say platform, represented by 5.2 million shares and 492 votes, asks Tesla to detail the “main constraints” to expanding robotaxi operations.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Say this for the socialists running for Congress: They have an ambitious policy agenda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Appointed priest of Vietnam's Tac Say parish in 1930, Diep was known for his devotion to the poor, sick, and those suffering because of war, according to the local Can Tho diocese.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
Say, they like the name Garner there, don’t they?
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
“Finances definitely influenced just how hard we were willing to try,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
And Fernando said he’s more likely to see a retired neighbor gardening than a child on a bicycle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
But as economic growth became more widespread later in the 2010s, families started leaving for opportunities elsewhere, said Connor O’Brien, a fellow at think tank the Institute for Progress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Here, I feel much lighter,” said Bazile, who now works in real estate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Oh, Sir Knight, it is too obvious a matter to be mentioned. All knights carry money, believe me, it's a necessity," the innkeeper said with great feeling.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Some executives dismissed her concerns, saying the model’s existing safeguards were enough.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
She greeted him by saying “hi, my love,” and afterwards called him “a charmer”.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
President Reagan, saying he is “a bit wiser” after two failed attempts to put a hard-line conservative on the Supreme Court, today picked federal appeals Judge Anthony M.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
"The people who came into the houses of Zimbabweans were police officers saying that you are living here illegally," he told AFP as he prepared for repatriation.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Auntie makes a point of saying, “Old Town Alexandria,” so people will know it’s the posh area with homes that are on the historic register.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
