What does "say" mean?
A chance to speak; the right or power to influence or make a decision.
Say
/seɪ/ adv, intj, name, noun, verb, slang
adv, intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A chance to speak; the right or power to influence or make a decision.
- Grammar: say is listed as adv, intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: pronounce, speak, state, tell.
- Useful contrasts: conceal, deny, erase.
- Usage evidence: How do you say that in Italian?
How to use "say"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "say" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "say" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "say" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "say" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "say" is acting as adv, intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "pronounce" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "say", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A chance to speak; the right or power to influence or make a decision. countable
"To have a say"
- 2 A type of fine cloth similar to serge. countable, uncountable
"Per.[igot] VVell decked in a frocke of gray, / Will.[y] hey ho, gray is greet, / Per. And in a kirtle of greene ſaye, / Will. the greene is for maydens meete."
- 3 Trial by sample; assay; specimen.
"If those principal works of God […] be but certain tastes and says, as if were, of that final benefit."
- 4 A strainer for milk. Scotland
- 5 the chance to speak wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Tried quality; temper; proof.
"He found a sword of better say."
- 7 Essay; trial; attempt.
"This fellow, Captaine, Will come, in time, to be a great distiller, And giue a say[…]at the philosophers stone."
Verb
- 1 To pronounce. transitive
"Please say your name slowly and clearly."
- 2 To try; to assay.
"I, that had sayed on one of his customers sutes."
- 3 give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority wordnet
- 4 To recite. transitive
"Martha, will you say the Pledge of Allegiance?"
- 5 express a supposition wordnet
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 To tell, either verbally or in writing. transitive
"He said he would be here tomorrow."
- 7 indicate wordnet
- 8 To indicate in a written form. transitive
"The sign says it’s 50 kilometres to Paris."
- 9 communicate or express nonverbally wordnet
- 10 To have a common expression; used in singular passive voice or plural active voice to indicate a rumor or well-known fact. impersonal, transitive
"They say "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", which means "behave as those around you do.""
- 11 recite or repeat a fixed text wordnet
- 12 Suppose, assume; used to mark an example, supposition or hypothesis. imperative, informal, transitive
"A holiday somewhere warm – Florida, say – would be nice."
- 13 speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way wordnet
- 14 To speak; to express an opinion; to make answer; to reply. intransitive
"You have said; but whether wisely or no, let the forest judge"
- 15 utter aloud wordnet
- 16 To bet as a wager on an outcome; by extension, used to express belief in an outcome by the speaker. especially, informal, transitive
"'My fifty pounds says three months after the invasion there'll be a free press in Iraq, and unmonitored internet access too.'"
- 17 express in words wordnet
- 18 state as one's opinion or judgement; declare wordnet
- 19 report or maintain wordnet
- 20 have or contain a certain wording or form wordnet
Adverb
- 1 For example; let us assume. not-comparable
"Pick a color you think they'd like, say, peach."
Intj
- 1 Used to gain someone's attention before making an inquiry or suggestion US, colloquial
"Say, what did you think about the movie?"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"How do you say that in Italian?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "say"?
Common synonyms include: pronounce, speak, state, tell, utter, voice.
How do you use "say" in a sentence?
How do you say that in Italian?
How do you pronounce "say"?
Pronounced /seɪ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English seyen, seien, seggen, from Old English seċġan (“to say, speak”), from Proto-West Germanic *saggjan, from Proto-Germanic *sagjaną (“to say”), from Proto-Indo-European *sokʷ-h₁-yé-, a suffixed o-grade form of *sekʷ- (“to say”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian sai, seede, sii, sjide, sooi, säie (“to say”), West Frisian sizze (“to say”), Alemannic German ŝchége, ŝchegi, séege, säge, sägä (“to say”), Bavarian sogn, soon, sågn (“to say”), Dutch zeggen (“to say”), German sagen (“to say”), Low German seggen (“to say, tell”), Luxembourgish soen (“to say”), Yiddish זאָגן (zogn, “to say”), Danish sige (“to say”), Faroese siga (“to say”), Icelandic segja (“to say”), Jamtish segi (“to say”), Norwegian Bokmål si (“to say”), Norwegian Nynorsk segja, seia, seie (“to say, tell”), Swedish säga (“to say”). The adverb and interjection are from the verb.
Etymology 2
From Middle French saie, from Latin saga, plural of sagum (“military cloak”).
Etymology 3
Aphetic form of assay.