Say — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adverb /ˈsā/

Meaning & Definition of Say

Say (verb)

  1. to express in words, state
  2. to state as opinion or belief, declare
  3. utter, pronounce

Say (noun)

  1. an expression of opinion
  2. a right or power to influence action or decision; especially, the authority to make final decisions
  3. something that is said, statement

Say (adverb)

  1. about, approximately
  2. for example, as

Say (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to express (a thought or emotion) in words

    "why don't you just say what's on your mind?"

    similar: articulate, bring out, enunciate, pass, speak, state, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, put into words
    related: air, discuss, give, look, share, sound, vent, ventilate, voice, blabber, bolt, blurt, get off, shoot, advertise, announce, blaze, broadcast, declare, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, breathe, chirp, drawl, gasp, lip, mouth, murmur, purr, shout, splutter, spout, whisper, clothe, couch, formulate, formulize, phrase, put, word, comment, pipe up (with), remark, rip (out), snarl
    near: stifle, suppress

  2. to convey in appropriate or telling terms

    "I'm not quite sure how to say this, but that's the worst essay I've ever read"

    similar: articulate, clothe, couch, express, formulate, phrase, put, state, word
    related: craft, frame, hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest, paraphrase, rephrase, restate, reword, summarize, translate, communicate, disclose, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, describe, render, write up

  3. to give from memory

    "say your prayers"

    similar: recite, reel off, repeat
    related: con, learn, memorize, study, declaim, mouth, orate, speak
    near: read

  4. to take as true or as a fact without actual proof

    "let's say, for the sake of argument, that this is true"

    similar: assume, hypothecate, hypothesize, postulate, premise, presume, presuppose, suppose, take for granted
    related: accept, believe, credit, swallow, conclude, deduce, gather, infer, judge, take, conjecture, figure, guess, reckon (chiefly dialect), surmise, suspect, suspicion (chiefly dialect), think, conceive, dream, fancy, imagine, perceive, preconceive, speculate, theorize, affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, claim, contend, declare, insist, maintain, profess
    near: challenge, controvert, disagree (with), disbelieve, discount, discredit, dispute, distrust, doubt, mistrust, question, wonder (about), deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, reject, repudiate, belie, confute, disprove, rebut, refute

Say (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. close to but not exactly

    "a person consumes, say, 2000 calories a day"

    similar: about, approximately, around, like, more or less, much, near, plus or minus, roughly, some, after a fashion, somewhere about, somewhere around
    related: generally, kind of, loosely, nearly, nominally, practically, virtually, well-nigh
    opposite: exactly, precisely
    near: due, even, just, sharp, smack-dab, squarely

Say (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the right to express a wish, choice, or opinion

    "even if they decide otherwise, at least I had my say"

    similar: say-so, voice, vote
    related: part, role, share, ballot, enfranchisement, franchise, suffrage, belief, conviction, judgment, opinion, sentiment, view

Related Entry: Say-so (noun)

Say-so is a different word from Say. The synonyms below are for say-so, not for say.

  1. the right to express a wish, choice, or opinion

    "some of the members complained they didn't have any say-so in how the organization spent its funds"

    similar: say, voice, vote
    related: part, role, share, ballot, enfranchisement, franchise, suffrage, belief, conviction, judgment, opinion, sentiment, view

Related Entry: Say uncle (phrase)

Say uncle is a different word from Say. The synonyms below are for say uncle, not for say.

  1. to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)

    "The child begged for the toy so much that her parents finally cried uncle and bought it for Christmas."

    similar: blink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb, surrender, yield, throw in the towel
    related: acquiesce, defer
    opposite: resist
    near: contend, fight, hold off, battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand

Related Entry: Say-sos (noun)

Say-sos is a different word from Say. The synonyms below are for say-sos, not for say.

  1. the right to express a wish, choice, or opinion

    "some of the members complained they didn't have any say-so in how the organization spent its funds"

    similar: says, voices, votes
    related: parts, roles, shares, ballots, enfranchisements, franchises, suffrages, beliefs, convictions, judgments, opinions, sentiments, views

Related Entry: Needless to say (phrase)

Needless to say is a different word from Say. The synonyms below are for needless to say, not for say.

  1. according to the usual course of things

    "After a day of hard labor she collapsed on the couch and, needless to say, fell right to sleep."

    similar: commonly, generally, natch (slang), naturally, normally, ordinarily, typically, usually, as a rule, of course, on the whole
    related: customarily, habitually, regularly, routinely, familiarly, conventionally, traditionally
    opposite: abnormally, atypically, extraordinarily, uncommonly, untypically, unusually
    near: funnily, oddly, peculiarly, queerly, strangely, weirdly, anomalously, irregularly, radically

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Say

The most common words with a similar meaning to Say:

articulate, bring out, enunciate, pass, speak, state, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, clothe, couch, express, formulate, phrase, put, word, recite, reel off, repeat, assume, hypothecate, hypothesize, postulate, premise, presume, presuppose, suppose, put into words, take for granted, about, approximately, around, like, more or less, much, near, plus or minus, roughly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Say

Words with the opposite meaning of Say:

exactly, precisely

Related Words for Say

air, discuss, give, look, share, sound, vent, ventilate, blabber, bolt, blurt, get off, shoot, advertise, announce, blaze, broadcast, declare, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, breathe

Near Antonyms of Say

stifle, suppress, read, challenge, controvert, disagree (with), disbelieve, discount, discredit, dispute, distrust, doubt, mistrust, question, wonder (about), deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, reject, repudiate, belie, confute, disprove, rebut, refute, due, even, just, sharp

Word Forms of Say

Inflections: said, saying, says

Derived words: sayer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Say

Middle English, from Old English secgan; akin to Old High German sagēn to say, Lithuanian sakyti, Greek ennepein to speak, tell

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Say

Words & Phrases Containing Say

sayest, say-so, say uncle, say a few words, say a mouthful

Frequently Asked Questions about Say

What does "Say" mean?

"Say" means to express in words, state. As an a verb, a noun and an adverb, it is defined as: to express in words, state. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Say"?

Other words for "Say" include articulate, bring out, enunciate, pass, speak, state, talk and tell. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Say" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Say"?

There are 169 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Say". Common alternatives include articulate, bring out, enunciate, pass, speak, state, talk, tell, utter and verbalize.

What is the opposite of "Say"?

Antonyms of "Say" include exactly and precisely. Near antonyms include stifle, suppress, read and challenge.

How do you use "Say" in a sentence?

Examples of "Say" in a sentence: "why don't you just say what's on your mind?"; "I'm not quite sure how to say this, but that's the worst essay I've ever read"; "say your prayers".

Is "Say" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Say" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Say" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Say" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Say"?

"Say" is pronounced /ˈsā/.