Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense says (sez), present participle saying, past tense, past participle said (sed)
1. verb
When you say something, you speak words.
'I'm sorry,' he said. [VERB with quote]
She said they were very impressed. [VERB that]
Forty-one people are said to have been seriously hurt. [beVERB-ed to-infinitive]
I packed and said goodbye to Charlie. [VERB noun + to]
I hope you didn't say anything about Gretchen. [VERB noun]
You didn't say much when you telephoned. [VERB noun]
Did he say where he was going? [VERB wh]
It doesn't sound exactly orthodox, if I may say so. [Vso]
[Also VERB to-infinitive]
Synonyms: speak, utter, voice, express More Synonyms of say
2. verb
You use say in expressions such as I would just like to say to introduce what you are actually saying, or to indicate that you are expressing an opinion or admitting a fact. If you state that you can't say something or you wouldn't say something, you are indicating in a polite or indirect way that it is not the case.
I would just like to say that this is the most hypocritical thing I have ever heardin my life. [VERB that]
I have to say I didn't even know Fox Lane Police Station existed till about fouror five years ago. [VERB that]
I must say that rather shocked me, too. [VERB that]
Well, I can't say I'm sorry to hear that. [VERB that]
Synonyms: make known, reveal, disclose, divulge More Synonyms of say
3. verb
You can mention the contents of a piece of writing by mentioning what it says or what someone says in it.
The report says there is widespread and routine torture of political prisoners inthe country. [VERB that]
Auntie Winnie wrote back saying Mam wasn't well enough to write. [VERB that]
You can't have one without the other, as the song says. [VERB with quote]
'Highly inflammable,' it says on the spare canister. [VERB with quote]
It is a pervasively religious school and believes whatever the Bible says is so. [Vso]
4. verb
If you say something to yourself, you think it.
Perhaps I'm still dreaming, I said to myself. [VERB + to]
'Keep your temper,' he said to himself. [Vto pron-refl with quote]
5. singular noun [oft more/someN]
If you have asayin something, you have the right to give your opinion and influence decisions relating to it.
You can get married at sixteen, and yet you haven't got a say in the running of thecountry.
The students wanted more say in the government of the university. [+ in]
Synonyms: influence, power, control, authority More Synonyms of say
6. verb
You indicate the information given by something such as a clock, dial, or map by mentioning what it says.
The clock said four minutes past eleven. [VERB noun]
The map says there's six of them. [VERB that]
Synonyms: read, show, display, indicate More Synonyms of say
7. verb
If something says something about a person, situation, or thing, it gives important information about them.
I think that says a lot about how well she is playing. [V amount + about]
The appearance of the place says something about the importance of the project. [VERB noun + about]
Synonyms: suggest, reveal, express, imply More Synonyms of say
8. verb
If something says a lot for a person or thing, it shows that this person or thing is very good or has a lot of good qualities.
It says a lot for him that he has raised his game to the level required. [V amount + for]
It says much for the author's skill that the book is sad, but never depressing. [VERB noun + for]
9. verb
You use say in expressions such as I'll say that for them and you can say this for them after or before you mention a good quality that someone has, usually when you thinkthey do not have many good qualities.
He's usually smartly-dressed, I'll say that for him. [VERB noun + for]
At the very least, he is devastatingly sure of himself, you can say that. [VERB noun]
10. verb
You can use say when you want to discuss something that might possibly happen or be true.
Say you could change anything about the world we live in, what would it be? [VERB that]
11. phrase
You can use say or let's say when you mention something as an example.
If funds start arriving in January, construction can begin in, say, June.
Someone with, say, between 300 and 500 acres could be losing thousands of poundsa year.
12. exclamation
Say is used to attract someone's attention or to express surprise, pleasure, or admiration.
[US, informal]
Say, how would you like to have dinner one night, just you and me?
13.
See say it all
14.
See you don't say
15.
See to be said for sth
16.
See not have much to say for oneself
17.
See what does someone have to say for themselves
18.
See goes without saying
19.
See have one's say
20.
See say what you like about sth
21.
See I wouldn't say no
22.
See not to say
23.
See to say nothing of
24.
See shall I say
25.
See that is to say
26.
See you can say that again
27. to say the least
28. needless to say
More Synonyms of say
say in British English1
(seɪ)
verbWord forms: says (sɛz), saying or said(mainly tr)
1.
to speak, pronounce, or utter
2. (also intr)
to express (an idea) in words; tell
we asked her opinion but she 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) Irish
to persuade or coax (someone) to do something
If I hadn't been said by her, I wouldn't be in this fix
10. go without saying
11. I say!
12. not to say
13. that is to say
14. to say nothing of
15. to say the least
adverb
16.
approximately
there were, say, 20 people present
17.
for example
choose a number, say, four
noun
18.
the right or chance to speak
let him have his say
19.
authority, esp to influence a decision
she has a lot of say in the company's policy
20.
a statement of opinion
you've had your say, now let me have mine
exclamation
21. US and Canadian informal
an exclamation to attract attention or express surprise, etc
Derived forms
sayer (ˈsayer)
noun
Word origin
Old English secgan; related to Old Norse segja, Old Saxon seggian, Old High German sagēn
say in British English2
(seɪ)
noun
archaic
a type of fine woollen fabric
Word origin
C13: from Old French saie, from Latin saga, plural of sagum a type of woollen cloak
to state positively, with assurance, or as an opinion
who can say what will be?
4.
to indicate or show
the clock says ten
5.
to recite; repeat
to say one's prayers
6.
to estimate; assume; hypothesize
he is, I'd say, forty
7.
to allege; report
people say he's angry
8.
to communicate (an idea, feeling, etc.)
a painting that says nothing
verb intransitive
9.
to make a statement; speak; express an opinion
noun
10.
a chance to speak
to have one's say
11.
power or authority, as to make or help make a final decision
often with the
12. Archaic
what a person says; dictum
adverb
13.
for example
any fish, say perch
14.
about; nearly
costing, say, 10 dollars
interjection
15.
used to express surprise, admiration, etc., or to get someone's attention
Idioms:
go without saying
that is to say
to say the least
you can say that again!
Derived forms
sayer (ˈsayer)
noun
Word origin
ME seien (< orig. 3d pers. sing., pres. indic.), seggen < OE secgan, akin to sagu, a saying, tale (ON saga), Ger sagen, to say < IE base *sekw-, to note, see, show, say (> see1, L inseque (imper.), tell!), orig., to follow > L sequi
More idioms containing
say
someone wouldn't say boo to a goose
say something to someone's face
say something behind someone's back
before you could say Jack Robinson
say your piece
Examples of 'say' in a sentence
say
That is not to say that just anything goes.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They said they would give it to me.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They have grown vital ear cells in a lab and say they could one day be transplanted.
The Sun (2009)
Then he says something you agree with.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Our verbal message will ring hollow if an aspect of the medium potentially says something different.
Christianity Today (2000)
So maybe these dark practices are not as commonplace as people have been saying.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It knows its stuff and this deal accordingly says much about investor confidence.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Your letter says an awful lot about their situation and little about your own.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Afghan and western officials say the policy has damaged attempts to reach out to insurgents.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The doc said his patient probably did not realise just how bad they were for that reason.
The Sun (2014)
The government has said from the outset that it will not subsidise the industry.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Who says footballers get paid too much?
The Sun (2012)
This is pretty much what the company said again yesterday.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He says he likes all the attention but not for the reasons one might expect.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You beat yourself up and say bad things about yourself.
The Sun (2014)
The atmosphere is not good, to say the least.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It also said that ministers must learn lessons about managing people's information after concern about the care.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Yesterday a spokesman said that he had not agreed to be the alliance's referee, nor had he been asked.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
say
British English: say /seɪ/ VERB
When you say something, you talk.
She said that they were very pleased.
American English: say
Arabic: يَقولُ
Brazilian Portuguese: dizer
Chinese: 说
Croatian: reći
Czech: říci
Danish: sige
Dutch: zeggen
European Spanish: decir
Finnish: sanoa
French: dire
German: sagen
Greek: λέω
Italian: dire
Japanese: 言う
Korean: 말하다
Norwegian: si
Polish: powiedzieć
European Portuguese: dizer
Romanian: a spune
Russian: говорить
Latin American Spanish: decir
Swedish: säga
Thai: พูด
Turkish: söylemek
Ukrainian: казати
Vietnamese: nói
All related terms of 'say'
I say!
an exclamation of surprise
say-so
If you do something on someone's say-so , they tell you to do it or they give you permission to do it.
dare say
to think likely ; suppose
say uncle
to concede defeat
say when
to state when an action is to be stopped or begun , as when someone is pouring a drink
say cheese
If someone tells you to say ' cheese ' when they are taking your photograph, they are indicating that they want you to smile .
say Kaddish
to be a mourner
I dare say
(it is) quite possible (that)
not to say
You can use not to say when adding a stronger or more extreme description than the one you have just used.
sad to say
You can use the expression sad to say when you are describing an situation which you find unfortunate .
say it all
If you say that something says it all , you mean that it shows you very clearly the truth about a situation or someone's feelings .
say amen to
to express strong approval of or support for (an assertion , hope , etc)
say the word
If someone says the word , they give their approval as a sign that something should start to happen .
have one's say
When one of the people or groups involved in a discussion has their say , they give their opinion .
never say die
never give up
say your piece
to give your opinion about a particular matter, although you are aware that other people may not agree with you, or be interested in what you have to say
strange to say
it is unusual or surprising that
you don't say
You can use ' You don't say ' to express surprise at what someone has told you. People often use this expression to indicate that in fact they are not surprised.
dare I say it
You use ' dare I say it ' when you know that what you are going to say will disappoint or annoy someone.
I'm sorry to say
You use the expression I'm sorry to say to express regret together with disappointment or disapproval .
it's fair to say
You use fair in expressions such as It would be fair to say in order to introduce a statement which you believe to be true and reasonable .
look-say method
a method of teaching beginners to read by memorizing and recognizing whole words, rather than by associating letters with sounds
needless to say
You use needless to say when you want to emphasize that what you are about to say is obvious and to be expected in the circumstances .
say a few words
to give a brief speech
say/kiss goodnight
If you say goodnight to someone or kiss them goodnight , you say something such as 'Goodnight' to them or kiss them before one of you goes home or goes to sleep .
say one's beads
to pray with a rosary
say one's piece
If you say your piece , you say everything you want to say about a particular matter without being interrupted , although people may be wanting to express opposing views .
say someone nay
to refuse or forbid
say the unsayable
to express an opinion thought to be too controversial to mention
that is to say
You use that is to say or that's to say to indicate that you are about to express the same idea more clearly or precisely .
to say the least
You can use to say the least to suggest that a situation is actually much more extreme or serious than you say it is.
daresay
→ dare
as who should say
as if one should say
I wouldn't say no
You use ' I wouldn't say no ' to indicate that you would like something, especially something that has just been offered to you.
suffice it to say
Suffice it to say or suffice to say is used at the beginning of a statement to indicate that what you are saying is obvious , or that you will only give a short explanation .
to say nothing of
You use to say nothing of when you mention an additional thing which gives even more strength to the point you are making.
I am bound to say
You can say ' I am bound to say ' to introduce a statement expressing something that you find undesirable or unexpected .
shall I say shall we say
You use shall I say and shall we say in order to warn someone that what you are about to say may cause offence or be surprising .
I daresay/I dare say
You can use ' I daresay ' or ' I dare say ' before or after a statement to indicate that you believe it is probably true .
I dare say/I daresay
You can use ' I dare say ' or ' I daresay ' before or after a statement to indicate that you believe it is probably true .
say goodbye/wave goodbye
When you say goodbye to someone, you say something such as 'Goodbye', ' Bye ', or ' See you', when you or they are leaving . You can also wave goodbye to someone.
suffice it to say that
let us say no more than that; I shall just say that
you can say that again
You can use ' You can say that again ' to express strong agreement with what someone has just said .
that is/that is to say
You use that is or that is to say to indicate that you are about to express the same idea more clearly or precisely .
a bad word to say about sb
If nobody has a bad word to say about you, you are liked or admired by everyone.
say something to someone's face
to say something openly in someone's presence, especially something critical or unpleasant
say what you like about sth
You use ' Say what you like about someone or something' when you are about to mention one good thing about a person or thing that many people do not like.
would not say boo to a goose
is extremely timid or diffident
before you could say Jack Robinson
said to mean that something happened very suddenly and quickly
not have much to say for oneself
If you say that someone doesn't have much to say for himself or herself , you mean that they are not speaking very much during a conversation .
Chinese translation of 'say'
say
(seɪ)
Word forms:ptppsaid
vt
(= utter) 说(說) (shuō)
⇒ I couldn't understand what they were saying.我不明白他们在说什么。 (Wǒ bù míngbai tāmen zài shuō shénme.)
(= indicate)[clock, watch]表明 (biǎomíng)
⇒ My watch says 3 o'clock.我的手表3点了。 (Wǒ de shǒubiǎo sān diǎn le.)
[sign]写(寫)着(著) (xǐezhe)
n
to have one's say表达(達)个(個)人的意见(見) (biǎodá gèrén de yìjiàn) (in writing)
[person]说(說) ... (shuō ... )
[book, article]写(寫)明 ... (xiěmíng ... )
to say that ... (verbally) 说(說) ... (shuō ... )
⇒ He said that he'd broken his arm.他说他的手臂断了。 (Tā shuō tā de shǒubì duàn le.)
⇒ She said that I was to give you this.她叫我把这个给你。 (Tā jiào wǒ bǎ zhège gěi nǐ.)
to say sth to sb告诉(訴)某人某事 (gàosù mǒurén mǒushì)
to say sth to o.s.暗自思量某事 (ànzì sīliang mǒushì)
to say yes/no同意/不同意 (tóngyì/bù tóngyì)
to say goodbye/sorry (to sb)(向某人)告别(別)/道歉 ((xiàng mǒurén) gàobié/dàoqiàn)
when all is said and done归(歸)根结(結)底 (guī gēn jié dǐ)
there is something/a lot to be said for it有一些/很多优(優)点(點) (yǒu yīxiē/hěn duō yōudiǎn)
it says something/a lot about her state of mind这(這)在某种(種)/很大程度上显(顯)露了她的想法 (zhè zài mǒu zhǒng/hěn dà chéngdù shang xiǎnlùle tā de xiǎngfǎ)
you can say that again! (inf) 我太同意你说(說)的了！ (wǒ tài tóngyì nǐ shuō de le!)
that is to say就是说(說) (jiùshì shuō)
that goes without saying那自不消说(說) (nà zì bùxiāo shuō)
I can't say I'm sorry我并(並)不感到内(內)疚 (wǒ bìng bù gǎndào nèijiù)
I must say that ... 依我看 ... (yī wǒ kàn ... )
to say nothing of更不用说(說) (gèng bùyòng shuō)
that says it all不言自明 (bù yán zì míng)
say that ... (= suppose) 假设(設) ... (jiǎshè ... )
⇒ Say you won a million pounds.假设你赢了100万英镑。 (Jiǎshè nǐ yíngle yī bǎi wàn yīngbàng.)
come for dinner at, say, 8 o'clock来(來)吃晚饭(飯)吧，先定8点(點)吧 (lái chī wǎnfàn ba, xiān dìng bā diǎn ba)
shall we say Tuesday?星期二好吗(嗎)？ (xīngqī'èr hǎo ma?)
to have a or some say in sth对(對)某事有发(發)言权(權) (duì mǒushì yǒu fāyánquán)
All related terms of 'say'
I dare say
( I suppose ) 我相信 wǒ xiāngxìn
say that ...
( suppose ) 假设(設) ... jiǎshè ... ⇒ Say you won a million pounds. → 假设你赢了100万英镑。 Jiǎshè nǐ yíngle yī bǎi wàn yīngbàng.
to say yes
同意 tóngyì
to say grace
谢(謝)恩祈祷(禱) xiè'ēn qídǎo
needless to say
不用说(說) bùyòng shuō
to say goodbye
告别(別) gàobié
to say that ...
( verbally ) 说(說) ... shuō ... ⇒ He said that he'd broken his arm. → 他说他的手臂断了。 Tā shuō tā de shǒubì duàn le. ⇒ She said that I was to give you this. → 她叫我把这个给你。 Tā jiào wǒ bǎ zhège gěi nǐ.
to say yes/no
同意/不同意 tóngyì/bù tóngyì
that is to say
就是说(說) jiùshì shuō
to say the least
至少可以说(說) zhìshǎo kěyǐ shuō
I must say that ...
依我看 ... yī wǒ kàn ...
I'd rather not say
我宁(寧)可不说(說) wǒ nìngkě bù shuō
people say that ...
有人说(說) ... yǒurén shuō ...
to hasten to say ...
忙不迭地说(說) ... mángbùdié de shuō ...
to have one's say
表达(達)个(個)人的意见(見) biǎodá gèrén de yìjiàn
to say nothing of
更不用说(說) gèng bùyòng shuō
to say one's piece
吐出心里(裡)话(話) tǔchū xīnlihuà
to say one's prayers
祈祷(禱) qídǎo
to say sth to o.s.
暗自思量某事 ànzì sīliang mǒushì
to say sth to sb
告诉(訴)某人某事 gàosù mǒurén mǒushì
what did you say?
你说(說)什么(麼)？ ní shuō shénme?
shall we say Tuesday?
星期二好吗(嗎)？ xīngqī'èr hǎo ma?
I can't say I'm sorry
我并(並)不感到内(內)疚 wǒ bìng bù gǎndào nèijiù
some people say that ...
有些人说(說) ... yǒuxiē rén shuō ...
what you say is wrong
你所说(說)的是错(錯)的 nǐ suǒ shuō de shì cuò de
you can say that again!
( inf ) 我太同意你说(說)的了！ wǒ tài tóngyì nǐ shuō de le!
I agree with what you say
我同意你说(說)的观(觀)点(點) wǒ tóngyì nǐ shuō de guāndiǎn
it is safe to say that ...
可以有把握地说(說) ... kěyǐ yǒu bǎwò de shuō ...
it's hard to tell/say/know
很难(難)讲(講)/说(說)/知道 hěn nán jiǎng/shuō/zhīdào
suffice it to say that ...
只要说(說) ... 就够(夠)了 zhǐyào shuō ... jiù gòu le
I can safely say/assume that ...
我可以有把握地说(說)/认(認)为(為) ... wǒ kěyǐ yǒu bǎwò de shuō/rènwéi ...