Say

Definition: Say

Say

Noun

1. The chance to speak; "let him have his say".

Verb

1. Express an idea, etc. in words; "He said that he wanted to marry her"; "tell me what is bothering you"; "state your opinion".

2. Report or maintain; "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".

3. Express a supposition; "Let us say that he did not tell the truth"; "Let's say you had a lot of money--what would you do?".

4. Have or contain a certain wording or form; "The passage reads as follows"; "What does the law say?".

5. State as one's opinion or judgement; declare; "I say let's forget this whole business".

6. Utter aloud; "She said 'Hello' to everyone in the office".

7. Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something; "I said to him to go home"; "She ordered him to do the shopping"; "The mother told the child to get dressed".

8. Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way; "She pronounces French words in a funny way"; "I cannot say `zip wire'"; "Can the child sound out this complicated word?".

9. Recite or repeat a fixed text; "Say grace"; "She said her `Hail Mary'".

10. : communicate or express nonverbally; "What does this painting say?" "Did his face say anything about how he felt?".

11. : indicate; "The clock says noon".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "say" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Computing

Literature

Multilingual Slang

Tips from 1870

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Say

Affirmation

Verb: assert; make an assertion; Noun: have one's say; say, affirm, predicate, declare, state; protest, profess.

Regularity of recurrence Periodicity

Bout, round, revolution, rotation, turn, say.

Smallness

Almost, nearly, well-nigh, short of, not quite, all but; near upon, close upon; peu s'en faut, near the mark; within an ace of, within an inch of; on the brink of; scarcely, hardly, barely, only just, no more than. about, thereabouts, somewhere about, nearly, say; be the same, be little more or less. no ways, no way, no wise; not at all, not in the least, not a bit, not a bit of it, not a whit, not a jot, not a shadow; in no wise, in no respect; by no means, by no manner of means; on no account, at no hand.

Speech

Verb: speak of; say, utter, pronounce, deliver, give utterance to; utter forth, pour forth; breathe, let fall, come out with; rap out, blurt out have on one's lips; have at the end of one's tongue, have at the tip of one's tongue.

Oration, recitation, delivery, say, speech, lecture, harangue, sermon, tirade, formal speech, peroration; speechifying; soliloquy; allocution; conversation; salutatory : screed: valedictory.

Crosswords: Say

Pidgin English (said), Vietnamese (inebriate).

I don't exactly know what I am required to say in order for you to have intercourse with me. But could we assume that I said all that (A Beautiful Mind; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman)

Every time you've heard someone say they saw a ghost, or an angel (The Matrix Reloaded; writing credit: Andy Wachowski; Larry Wachowski)

I can't say I'm a big supporter of the Raisin Council (Benny and Joon ; writing credit: Barry Berman)

Say it again, it keeps me awake (Notorious; writing credit: Ben Hecht)

If I didn't know better, I'd say he developed an edifice complex (Tomorrow Never Dies; writing credit: Bruce Feirstein)

I've heard her say (Hard to Say I'm Sorry; performing artist: Az Yet)

How do I say goodbye to what we had (It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday; performing artist: Boyz II Men)

Do I have to say a prayer (Do I Have To Say The Words?; performing artist: Bryan Adams)

So don't say goodbye (Don't Say Goodbye; performing artist: Paulina Rubio)

There is no need to say you love me, (Say you'll be there; performing artist: Spice Girls)

We like a man to come right out and say what he thinks, if we agree with him. (references; author: Mark Twain)

If it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil. But the worst that you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever. (references; author: Woody Allen)

If money could talk, it would say goodbye. (references; author: unknown)

I don't necessarily agree with everything I say. (references; author: unknown)

Old folks say, "If all is not lost, where is it? (references; author: unknown)

Say this sharply, say this sweetly, say this shortly, say this softly. Say this sixteen times in succession. (references; author: unknown)

Let the Church Say Amen! (1973)

Say Something Don't Just Lie There (1973)

Funny You Should Say That (1972)

Maggie Cole Say Goodbye (1972)

Everybody Say Cheese (1971)

SAY YOU LOVE ME (performing artist: FLEETWOOD MAC)

Say You Will (performing artist: Foreigner)

Neither One of Us (Wants to be the First to Say Goodbye) (performing artist: Gladys Knight & The Pips)

NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE  (performing artist: Gloria Gaynor )

Oh Babe What Would You Say (performing artist: Hurricane Smith)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• First I Say the Shema (reference)

• Before You Say 'I Do': A Marriage Preparation Manual for Couples (reference)

• The Hard Questions : 100 Essential Questions To Ask Before You Say "I Do" (reference)

• I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One (reference)

• "I say, I say!" Great Britain's best corny jokes and the debatable wit and wisdom of Michael Watts (reference)

  (more book examples)

Periodicals

• Say Magazine (reference)

  (more periodical examples)

Theater & Movies

• Never Say Never Again (reference)

• Say Amen, Somebody (reference)

• Say Anything... (reference)

• IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY THAT COUNTS- learning to communicate with more than words (reference)

• Don't Say a Word (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Say No More 3 & 4 [LIMITED EDITION] (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

They say that fish congregate around wrecks - a fisherman trying his luck next to a floating wreck. Credit: America's Coastlines.

Plate 274. The Mantis Shrimp. Squilla empusa, Say. Credit: National Marine Fisheries Historical Image Collection.

Your Health is in Your Hands. : Do What Your Doctor and Pharmacist Say. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Be Smart! Don't Start! : Just Say No!. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

I'm bound to say, sir, that the appearances are in favor of you--. Credit: Library of Congress.

My name is Fairchild. I mean what I say. You're going to run the Liberta ashore on Sand Island. Mr. White will communicate with the engine room. Credit: Library of Congress.

Make him say "Uncle," Uncle!. Credit: Library of Congress.

There, darlin' -- tell the doctor gentleman what the ducks say. Credit: Library of Congress.

'If this is the only safe thing we can do to get back on the front pages, then I say let's do it!' / Oliphant. Credit: Library of Congress.

'I was about to say that if ol' J. Edgar was still running things, we wouldn't be having this big image problem...but let it pass' / Oliphant. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

The labour of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say, are properly his. (Second Treatise of Government)

It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. (reference)

But, you will say, we destroy the most hallowed of relations, when we replace home education by social. (reference)

The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. (The Gettysburg Address)

Beware, I say; time may be short. ("Iron Curtain" Speech)

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. (Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1909)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Children, I say plainly, "watch out for the baobabs!

I do not scruple to say that she plays extremely well

So, for the present, I say no more about it.

I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now.

A revelation, he could almost say, had been granted to him.

We may say, by the way, that success is a hideous thing

Even junglecats sit doon n huv a wee purr tae themselves now and again, like say, usually after they've likes devoured somebody

They thought he would say the day he won some great battle or the day he was made an emperor

Eugene: Why don't you just say you lost the money

Withal say that the Queen hath heartily consented He should espouse Elizabeth her daughter

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

The child used to say a few words or babble, but now he/she doesn’t. (references)

The patient knows what he wants to say, but cannot find the words he needs. (references)

Wait for the child to say the intended word. Don't try to complete the child's thoughts. (references)

Business

Private industry people familiar with these projects say only one plant is operational. (references)

Industrial sources say the market volume for TMS is expected to grow at 20 percent annually. (references)

Auto experts also say that the Chinese market is too diversified to sustain a single family car. (references)

Children

Spain

According to a report by the NGO Gypsy Presence, one-fifth of teachers describe themselves as anti-Roma, and one-fourth of students say that they would like to see Roma expelled from school. (references)

Civil Liberties

Vietnam

Friends have been allowed to visit him, but say authorities discourage visits. (references)

Romania

The Greek Catholics say they have received 137 churches, while the Government claims 200 churches had been returned by year's end. (references)

Economic History

Korea

Suffice it to say that the above means are legal means. (references)

Philippines

Philippine officials say they are working toward that end. (references)

Venezuela

However, in general, most U.S. companies say they do not find the restriction to be onerous. (references)

Human Rights

Brazil

Police say that Nascimento was shot while resisting arrest. (references)

Brazil

They removed Crispiniano from his home and later telephoned to say that he was being held hostage for ransom. (references)

Mozambique

Justice Ministry officials say that some police lack adequate training and do not know how to charge a person properly. (references)

Indigenous People

Belize

Among the country's indigenous people, the Mopan and Ke'kchi are grouped under the general term Maya, although their leaders say that they should be identified as the Masenal, meaning "common people." The Maya have sought official recognition of their communal claims to land, but the Government has been reluctant to single out one ethnic group for special consideration. (references)

Minorities

Zimbabwe

Catholic Church officials say they welcome interfaith dialog with Muslims but believe some of the evangelical churches are hostile to Islam. (references)

Niger

Starting in 1998, Southern Baptist missionaries in Say (30 miles south of Niamey) faced harassment by members of the majority Islamic community. (references)

Political Economy

Eq. Guinea

The opposition has little say in Parliament. (references)

BOLIVIA

Union leaders say problems are often moot by the time the court rules. (references)

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabian planners say that there are no export subsidy programs for industrial projects. (references)

Political Rights

Vietnam

Party officials occupied most senior government and National Assembly positions and continued to have the final say on key issues. (references)

Colombia

Afro-Colombian organizations say that Afro-Colombians have almost no representation in the executive branch, judicial branch, and civil service positions, and in military hierarchies. (references)

Trade

Egypt

It is too early to say how well the new procedures are functioning. (references)

Travel

Nepal

Many say they spent more than 24 work hours per visa, over a period of 20 to 30 days. (references)

Romania

When dining, it is usual to say "pofta buna" (bon appetit) before eating, and "noroc" (cheers) before drinking. (references)

Oman

Omanis seek U.S. products and investment partners, but typically say that they have difficulty attracting the interest of U.S. firms new to the Omani market. (references)

Women

Finland

A total of 579 cases of rape were reported to the police in 2000, compared with 514 in 1999. Government experts say that as many as half, if not more, of all rape cases may go unreported. (references)

Guyana

Lawyers say that while more victims are reporting these crimes to the authorities, there still is a social stigma applied to the victim for doing so. An estimated 5 percent of cases reported to H&S were rape cases; the vast majority of these--80 percent--were reported by victims age 17 and under. (references)

Niger

Female genital mutilation (FGM), which is condemned widely by international health experts as damaging to both physical and psychological health, is practiced by several ethnic groups in the western department of Tillaberi (which includes Niamey and the towns of Say, Torodi, and Ayorou) and the eastern department of Diffa. (references)

Worker Rights

China

They have little say in the choice of mediators. (references)

Bolivia

However, union leaders say that problems are often moot by the time the court rules. (references)

Ukraine

However, the law gives unions a say in labor safety and in the allotment of newly built public housing. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "say": advisable to say so ♦ as he was wont to say ♦ as much as to say ♦ as one might say ♦ as they say ♦ as we say ♦ before one can say jack robinson ♦ before you could say jack robinson ♦ can't say bo to a goose ♦ deciding how to say it ♦ deciding what to say ♦ final say ♦ have a limited say ♦ have a say ♦ have ones say ♦ have one's say ♦ have the final say ♦ have the last say ♦ have the main say in smth. ♦ how dare you say that? ♦ i beg to say ♦ i dare say ♦ i dare say he'll be there ♦ i did not say so ♦ i don't care what people say ♦ i hate to say this but ♦ i mean what i say ♦ i must say ♦ i say old thing! ♦ i'll say it is ♦ in sooth to say ♦ it is hard to say ♦ it is nonsense to say so ♦ it pains me to say so ♦ it was not your part to say it ♦ let's say ♦ men say that ♦ needless to say ♦ needless to say that ♦ never say die ♦ never say die! ♦ not dare to say one's soul is his own ♦ not dare to say one's soul is one's own ♦ not take upon one self to say ♦ not to be able to say much for ♦ not to say ♦ one need not say ♦ people say ♦ people say that ♦ say a good word for ♦ say a mouthful ♦ say a prayer ♦ say about ♦ say after me! ♦ say again ♦ say all ♦ say aloud ♦ say altitude ♦ say aside ♦ say aye to ♦ say back ♦ say cheers ♦ say cheese! ♦ say ditto ♦ say ditto to ♦ say ditto to smb. ♦ say farewell ♦ say first ♦ say good bye to ♦ say good morning ♦ say goodbye to ♦ say grace ♦ say heading ♦ say hello ♦ say 'hello' ♦ say 'hello' to ♦ say hello to ivan ♦ say hello to smb. ♦ say hi ♦ say in advance ♦ say in jest ♦ say it again! ♦ say it no more! ♦ say it out plump! ♦ say mass ♦ say no ♦ say no more! ♦ say no to ♦ say nothing ♦ say on ♦ say on! ♦ say one's beads ♦ say one's prayer ♦ say one's prayers ♦ say one's say ♦ say out ♦ say over ♦ say over and over again ♦ say sermon ♦ say smb.'s prayers ♦ say smth. in an offhand manner. Additional references.

Beginning with "say": say-about, say-as, say-foring, say-ing, say-so, say-understandable.

Ending with "say": brasee-li-en-say, conditions-say, consciousness-say, content-say, hear-say, how-do-you-say, how-you-say, look-and-say, nay-say, some-would-say, s-say, s-s-s-say, two-say, variation-say, what-i-say, you-don't-say, You'll-do-as-i-say.

Containing "say": it's his say-so, never-say-die, never-say-die-ishness, on your say-so, see-all-hear-all-say-nowt.

Afrikaans

sê (tell). (various references)

Albanian

shqiptoj (enounce, enunciate, mouth, pronounce, utter), shpreh (bid, breathe, clothe, couch, embody, express, express oneself, extend, formulate, give voice to, import, outspeak, phrase, profess, put, put forward, speak, utter), them (be good at, begin to play, begin to sing, break into a song, call, give voice to, go, impart, know, name, refer, speak, talk, tell), përsërit përmendsh, opinion (judgement, judgment, mind, notion, opinion, thinking, view, voice), mendoj (believe, conceive, consider, contemplate, deem, deliberate, dream up, elaborate, expect, fancy, feel, figure, guess, hold, imagine, judge, mean, opine, ponder, rate, reason, reckon for, reflect, regard, repute, study, suppose, take, think, Trow, try, understand, ween), mendim (brainchild, cogitation, conceit, conception, estimation, idea, judgement, judgment, meditation, mind, muse, notion, opinion, reflection, reflexion, self-communion, sentiment, spirit, thinking, thought), flas (discourse, hold forth, palaver, speak, talk), fjalë (agreement, hearsay, language, news, order, promise, report, rumor, rumour, speech, term, vocable, word), deklamoj (declaim, horse, rant, recite, spout). (various references)

Arabic 

‏نطق (articulation, enunciate, enunciation, pronounce, pronouncement, speech, spoke, utterance, vocalization, vocalize), ‏لفظ (articulate, articulation, discharge, eject, ejection, emission, emit, enunciate, enunciation, expel, pronounce, pronunciation, spit, vocalization, vocalize), ‏قول (saying, utterance, word), ‏قال (go, said, speak, state, talk, tell, told, utter), ‏حكمة (aphorism, discreetness, foresight, maxim, policy, proverb, prudence, sagacity, sapience, sobering, wholesomeness, wisdom), ‏تكلم (bleat, mouth, speak, spoke, tongue), ‏زعم (allegation, allege, feign, pretence, pretend), ‏صرح (avow, castle, certify, cut open, declare, edifice, outrival, palace, predicate, proclaim, profess, represent, state, tower), ‏إعتقد (believe, calculate, conceive, consider, deem, imagine, reckon, suppose, think), ‏إعترف (acknowledge, admit, allow, avow, come clean, concede, confess, grant, own, own up, profess, recognize), ‏ألقى خطابا (deliver, speechify), ‏رأي (consideration, deliverance, feeling, idea, judgement, judgment, mind, opinion, persuasion, saw, sentiment, theory, think, verdict, view), ‏دور (age, circle, cycle, floor, function, part, place, refrain, role, round, storey, turn). (various references)

Basque

esan (say to, tell). (various references)

Bulgarian 

решаващо мнение, казвам (bid, call, convey, observe, put to, state, tell, utter), например (for example, for instance), последна дума, почти (about, almost, approximately, half, like, near, nearly, next to, nigh, on, practically, something like, virtually, well nigh). (various references)

Catalan

dir (tell). (various references)

Chinese 

言, 云 . (various references)

Croatian

rekli. (various references)

Czech

říci (speak, tell). (various references)

Danish

sige (tell). (various references)

Dutch

zeggen (tell), opgeven (abandon, give up, lose, renounce, resign, tell). (various references)

Esperanto

teksti (read), he (hey), diri (tell). (various references)

Faeroese

siga (express, tell), hoyr (hey). (various references)

Farsi 

مثلا (Like, Thus), نوبت حرف زدن , گفتن (Bubble, Cite, Inform, Intimate, Observe, Rehearse, Relate, Tell, Utter, Utterance), حرف زدن (Speak, Talk), حرف (Blabbermouth, Grapheme, Jib, Letter, Particle, Speech, Talk, Word, Yap), سخن گفتن (Address, Discourse, Speak), صحبت کردن سخن , اظهارداشتن (Express, Remark, State), اظهار (Proposal, Remark, Showing, Statement, Testimony, Utterance), بیان کردن (Bubble, Express, Frame, Give, Impart, Represent, Tell). (various references)

Finnish

sanoa (call, express, state, tell). (various references)

French

dire (to say). (various references)

French Canadian

dit. (various references)

Frisian

sizze (tell). (various references)

Galician

dixo. (various references)

German

sagen (mean, put, sagas, speak, tell, to say, to say (said, utter). (various references)

Greek 

άκουσον (hark), λέω (tell). (various references)

Guarani

he'ise (it wants to say), erese (you want to say), ereséva (what you want to say), eremíkena (please say). (various references)

Haitian Creole

di (said, ten, to say). (various references)

Hawaiian

afirmoj (affirm, assent, say yes). (various references)

Hebrew 

למלל (speak, talk, utter), לומר (put in, spell, state, tell), לאמור (namely, speak, state, tell, thus, to wit, viz.), להפטיר (dismiss, let go, release, sack, send away), להגיד (announce, declare, make known, narrate, tell), לדבר (jaw, speak, talk), לסיח (speak, talk), אמר (saying, utterance, word), חות דעת (advice, counsel, opinion), זכות דבור, דעה (estimation, insight, knowledge, mind, opinion, understanding, view, wisdom). (various references)

Hungarian

mondanivaló (message), mondás (maxim, phrase, saying), mond (had, have, tell, to have, to mind one's p's and q's, to pronounce, to say a few words, to snarl, to tell, to term, told), azaz (i.e., namely, that is, that is to say, to wit, viz, viz., what is to say). (various references)

Icelandic

segja (narrate, relate, tell). (various references)

Indonesian

wah (gosh, oh, well, why), misalnya (e.g., for example, for instance), menghaturkan, membilangkan (tell), bilang (every). (various references)

Inuktitut

uqaqtuq (to say). (various references)

Irish

abair (tell). (various references)

Italian

dire (bid, mean, name, speak, talk, tell, to tell). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

あっと言わせる (cherubic, errr, Excuse me..., floundering and almost drowning, innocent, to startle, well). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

あのう (errr, well