say
verb · noun · adverb
Simple meaning
Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sayIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈseɪ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
Recite or repeat a fixed text
transitive
To tell, either verbally or in writing.
intransitive
To speak; to express an opinion; to make answer; to reply.
transitive
To indicate in a written form.
To try; to assay.
noun
countableuncountable(?
) A chance to speak; the right or power to influence or make a decision.
Trial by sample; assay; specimen.
Essay; trial; attempt.
A type of fine cloth similar to serge.
Tried quality; temper; proof.
adverb
For example; let us assume.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way
Used this way, say is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use say
- “I say let's forget this whole business.”verb
- “Let us say that he did not tell the truth.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
One chap's arbitrary assertion.
Say good-bye or bid farewell.
United States baseball player (born in 1931).
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: (countable or uncountable(?)) A chance to speak
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.