51Թ

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View synonyms for

say

1

[sey]

verb (used with object)

said, saying 
  1. to utter or pronounce; speak.

    What did you say? I said “Hello!”

  2. to express in words; state; declare; word.

    Say it clearly and simply. It's hard to know how to say this tactfully.

  3. to state as an opinion or judgment.

    I say her plan is the better one.

  4. to be certain, precise, or assured about; determine.

    It is hard to say what is wrong.

  5. to recite or repeat.

    to say one's prayers.

  6. to report or allege; maintain.

    People say he will resign.

  7. to express (a message, viewpoint, etc.), as through a literary or other artistic medium.

    a writer with something to say.

  8. to indicate or show.

    What does your watch say?

  9. 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 
  1. to speak; declare; express an opinion.

adverb

  1. approximately; about.

    It's, say, 14 feet long.

  2. for example.

    If you serve, say tuna fish and potato chips, it will cost much less.

noun

  1. what a person says or has to say.

  2. the right or opportunity to speak, decide, or exercise influence.

    to have one's say in choosing the candidate.

  3. a turn to say something.

    It is now my say.

interjection

  1. (used to express surprise, get attention, etc.)

say

2

[sey]

verb (used with object)

  1. British Dialect.assay.

say

3

[sey]

noun

  1. a thin silk or woolen fabric similar to serge, much used in the 16th century.

Say

4

[sey]

noun

  1. Jean Baptiste 1767–1832, French economist.

  2. Thomas, 1787–1834, U.S. entomologist.

say

1

/ ɪ /

verb

  1. to speak, pronounce, or utter

  2. (also intr) to express (an idea) in words; tell

    we asked his opinion but he refused to say

  3. (also intr; may take a clause as object) to state (an opinion, fact, etc) positively; declare; affirm

  4. to recite

    to say grace

  5. (may take a clause as object) to report or allege

    they say we shall have rain today

  6. (may take a clause as object) to take as an assumption; suppose

    let us say that he is lying

  7. (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

  8. to make a case for

    there is much to be said for either course of action

  9. (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

  10. to be so obvious as to need no explanation

  11. informalan exclamation of surprise

  12. even; and indeed

  13. in other words; more explicitly

  14. as well as; even disregarding

    he was warmly dressed in a shirt and heavy jumper, to say nothing of a thick overcoat

  15. without the slightest exaggeration; at the very least

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. approximately

    there were, say, 20 people present

  2. for example

    choose a number, say, four

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the right or chance to speak

    let him have his say

  2. authority, esp to influence a decision

    he has a lot of say in the company's policy

  3. a statement of opinion

    you've had your say, now let me have mine

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. informalan exclamation to attract attention or express surprise, etc

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

say

2

/ ɪ /

noun

  1. archaica type of fine woollen fabric

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • sayer noun
  • ˈ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

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
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of say1

Old English secgan; related to Old Norse segja, Old Saxon seggian, Old High German ŧ

Origin of say2

C13: from Old French saie, from Latin saga, plural of sagum a type of woollen cloak
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. that is to say. that.

In addition to the idioms beginning with say, also see before you can say Jack Robinson; cry (say) uncle; do as I say; give (say) the word; go without (saying); have a say in; I dare say; I'll say; needless to say; never say die; never say never; not to mention (say nothing of); on one's say-so; strange to say; suffice it to say; that is (to say); to say the least; you can say that again; you don't say. Also see under said.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Because provider taxes draw matching federal dollars, Washington has a say in how they are implemented.

From

“He is our most recognizable dragon within the entire assortment,” DeBlois says on the phone.

From

A shelter-in-place order remains in effect Saturday morning in Brooklyn Park, a northern suburb of Minneapolis, after two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses were shot by a suspect impersonating a police officer, officials said.

From

The revival of DeSantis’s law sparked concern among civil rights groups, who say it disproportionately targets marginalized communities and threatens free speech.

From

A GEL spokesperson said the utility "absolutely understands the strength of feeling amongst some islanders" and the "impact on customers already struggling with the cost of living".

From

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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.

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