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:
Ranchers in the U.S., which exported $9.3 billion in beef and beef products in 2025, say those staffing cuts could threaten their bottom lines.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
The problem is getting worse for airlines because passengers are increasingly traveling with more electronic devices—typically four to five each, regulators say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Tech companies say they’re cutting costs as they invest more heavily in AI, which is reshaping how people work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
In his hearing, Blanche said he “is” Trump’s lawyer, before catching himself to say he “was” Trump’s lawyer.
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 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
Though Samuel says the EP is not an on-the-nose tribute to the elder Arredondo, his spirit resonates through the lyrics of the poignant downtempo track, “Never Say Goodbye.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Barrymore was a hugely successful TV presenter in the 1980s and 1990s, known for shows such as My Kind of Music, Strike It Lucky and Kids Say the Funniest Things.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
“Weary Brokers Say They Must Ration, Not Sell Ford Stock,” The Wall Street Journal wrote Jan. 17, 1956, as the iconic car maker’s 10.2 million shares didn’t come close to filling demand.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Say what you will about UFC fighters, but at least the weight class means they’re required to take on opponents who can fight back.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
‘Pshaw! Say what you will. You only come before me like a gnat. I know what I wish and will not be pestered into doing that which is wrong.’
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Without Russian diesel, importing countries have turned in large part to U.S. diesel, which has helped push U.S. domestic prices higher, Mills said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
“The situation with the beef-export data was absurd,” said Mackenzie Johnston, a fifth-generation cattle rancher in Nebraska and a content director at AgMarket.Net-owned commodity brokerage Standard Grain.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
Adding in unreliable or inaccurate government data reporting is “like driving one more nail into the proverbial coffin,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
“If a small or midsize family farmer tries to take that stand, good luck. They’re just going to get squeezed out of the market,” Volpe said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
"That's a disguise," Don Quixote said, "but you can't hide from me."
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Castle said that, while he might criticize some of the government agency’s numbers or methodologies, he believes in the importance of the USDA, saying it’s “still the envy of the world in this sector.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
But the day before contracts were exchanged Sarah received a phone call from her "befuddled" estate agent saying he had some bad news.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Boyle Heights activists are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to order a mandatory evacuation of the neighborhood, saying a recent warehouse fire has poisoned the air.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
It would have been embarrassing for them even to be confronted for saying so if anyone bothered to confront them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
“You know the saying: Betray me once and you’re dead to me forever.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
