saying
Americannoun
idioms
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of saying
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (gerund); see say 1, -ing 1
Explanation
A short, common, and easy-to-remember phrase is a saying. When class ends right before your turn to give a speech, you might use the saying, "Saved by the bell!" A saying is basically the same as an aphorism, an adage, or a proverb, usually offering some kind of wisdom. If you accidentally break your sister's favorite teacup, you might think of the saying "To err is human, to forgive divine," which means that everyone makes mistakes but only truly remarkable people are able to forgive these mistakes. You should probably also remind yourself of the saying, "Honesty is the best policy."
Vocabulary lists containing saying
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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:
FBI officials confirmed the addresses but did not name the individuals subject to the searches, saying the affidavits for the warrants are under seal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Kelly, 33, added: "I knew something wasn't right. I remember saying there were red flags, but we were told there was nothing to worry about."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, an Everton fan, decried the plan saying football was not a product in a post on X.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
All of the Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted, the U.S. military said, without saying where the attack was targeted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Dara tells Grandmary that we’ll catch a ride with Ell, to which Grandmary nods, saying she’s getting a ride there early with Auntie.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The following year, Pulte even produced a slim volume annotating some of his grandfather’s sayings and quotations.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026
The Soviet Union was a land of shortages, but there was no shortage of acerbic sayings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026
Highlander Hart's sister, Jamie Hart-Dobbs, still vividly remembers one of his regular sayings about Army life: "They taught me how to go to war, they didn't teach me how to come back from it."
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2025
Remember those sayings about college football coaches in their first few seasons?
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2025
Summer pulled the rolling chair up to the giant bulletin board in back of Ximena’s desk, which was completely covered with tiny photos and pictures and quotes and sayings.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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.
