say Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the chance to speak
    • let him have his say
  2. verb express in words
    state; tell.
    • He said that he wanted to marry her
    • tell me what is bothering you
    • state your opinion
    • state your name
  3. verb report or maintain
    aver; allege.
    • He alleged that he was the victim of a crime
    • He said it was too late to intervene in the war
    • The registrar says that I owe the school money
  4. verb express a supposition
    suppose.
    • Let us say that he did not tell the truth
    • Let's say you had a lot of money--what would you do?
  5. verb have or contain a certain wording or form
    read.
    • The passage reads as follows
    • What does the law say?
  6. verb give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
    enjoin; order; tell.
    • I said to him to go home
    • She ordered him to do the shopping
    • The mother told the child to get dressed
  7. verb speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
    sound out; pronounce; enunciate; articulate; enounce.
    • She pronounces French words in a funny way
    • I cannot say `zip wire'
    • Can the child sound out this complicated word?
  8. verb communicate or express nonverbally
    • What does this painting say?
    • Did his face say anything about how he felt?
  9. verb utter aloud
    • She said `Hello' to everyone in the office
  10. verb state as one's opinion or judgement; declare
    • I say let's forget this whole business
  11. verb recite or repeat a fixed text
    • Say grace
    • She said her `Hail Mary'
  12. verb indicate
    • The clock says noon

WordNet

Say imp. of See
Definitions
obs.
  1. Saw. Chaucer.
Say noun
Etymology
Aphetic form of assay.
Definitions
  1. Trial by sample; assay; sample; specimen; smack. Obs.
    if those principal works of God . . . be but certain tastes and saus, as if were, of that final benefit. Hooker.
    Thy tongue some say of breeding breathes. Shak.
  2. Tried quality; temper; proof. Obs.
    he found a sword of better say. Spenser.
  3. Essay; trial; attempt. Obs. B. Jonson.
Say transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To try; to assay. Obs. B. Jonson.
Say noun
Etymology
OE. saie, F. saie, fr. L. saga, equiv. to sagum, sagus, a coarse woolen mantle; cf. Gr. . See Sagum.
Definitions
  1. A kind of silk or satin. Obs.
    Thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord! Shak.
  2. A delicate kind of serge, or woolen cloth. Obs.
    His garment neither was of silk nor say. Spenser.
Say transitive verb
Etymology
OE. seggen, seyen, siggen, sayen, sayn, AS. secgan; akin to OS. seggian, D. zeggen, LG. seggen, OHG. sagn, G. sagen, Icel. segja, Sw. säga, Dan. sige, Lith. sakyti; cf. OL. insece teil, relate, Gr. (for ), . Cf. Saga, Saw a saying.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Said contracted from sayed; present participle & verbal noun Saying
Definitions
  1. To utter or express in words; to tell; to speak; to declare; as, he said many wise things.
    Arise, and say how thou camest here. Shak.
  2. To repeat; to rehearse; to recite; to pronounce; as, to say a lesson.
    Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated In what thou hadst to say? Shak.
    After which shall be said or sung the following hymn. Bk. of Com. Prayer.
  3. To announce as a decision or opinion; to state positively; to assert; hence, to form an opinion upon; to be sure about; to be determined in mind as to.
    But what it is, hard is to say. Milton.
  4. To mention or suggest as an estimate, hypothesis, or approximation; hence, to suppose; -- in the imperative, followed sometimes by the subjunctive; as, he had, say fifty thousand dollars; the fox had run, say ten miles.
    Say, for nonpayment that the debt should double, Is twenty hundred kisses such a trouble? Shak.
Say intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To speak; to express an opinion; to make answer; to reply.
    You have said; but whether wisely or no, let the forest judge. Shak.
    To this argument we shall soon have said; for what concerns it us to hear a husband divulge his household privacies? Milton.
Say noun
Etymology
From Say, v. t.; cf. Saw a saying.
Definitions
  1. A speech; something said; an expression of opinion; a current story; a maxim or proverb. Archaic or Colloq.
    He no sooner said out his say, but up rises a cunning snap. L'Estrange.
    That strange palmer's boding say, That fell so ominous and drear Full on the object of his fear. Sir W. Scott.

Webster 1913