Library / English Dictionary

SAY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: said   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The chance to speak

Example:

let him have his say

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("say" is a kind of...):

chance; opportunity (a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances)

Derivation:

say (express in words)

say (state as one's opinion or judgement; declare)

say (report or maintain)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority

Example:

The mother told the child to get dressed

Synonyms:

enjoin; order; say; tell

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

request (ask (a person) to do something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "say"):

direct (command with authority)

instruct (give instructions or directions for some task)

command; require (make someone do something)

call; send for (order, request, or command to come)

warn (ask to go away)

prescribe ((medicine) order the use of (a treatment, medicine, etc.), usually by written prescription)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Express a supposition

Example:

Let's say you had a lot of money--what would you do?

Synonyms:

say; suppose

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

speculate (talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 3

Meaning:

Indicate

Example:

The clock says noon

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

read; record; register; show (indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments)

Verb group:

say (communicate or express nonverbally)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Communicate or express nonverbally

Example:

Did his face say anything about how he felt?

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

convey ((of information) make known; pass on)

Verb group:

say (indicate)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Recite or repeat a fixed text

Example:

She said her 'Hail Mary'

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

recite (repeat aloud from memory)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

saying (a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way

Example:

Can the child sound out this complicated word?

Synonyms:

articulate; enounce; enunciate; pronounce; say; sound out

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

"Say" entails doing...:

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "say"):

syllabise; syllabize (utter with distinct articulation of each syllable)

drawl (lengthen and slow down or draw out)

labialise; labialize; round (pronounce with rounded lips)

lisp (speak with a lisp)

accent; accentuate; stress (put stress on; utter with an accent)

vocalise; vocalize; vowelise; vowelize (pronounce as a vowel)

click (produce a click)

trill (pronounce with a trill, of the phoneme 'r')

sibilate (pronounce with an initial sibilant)

flap (pronounce with a flap, of alveolar sounds)

explode (cause to burst as a result of air pressure; of stop consonants like /p/, /t/, and /k/)

roll (pronounce with a roll, of the phoneme /r/)

twang (pronounce with a nasal twang)

devoice (utter with tense vocal chords)

raise (pronounce (vowels) by bringing the tongue closer to the roof of the mouth)

lilt (articulate in a very careful and rhythmic way)

palatalise; palatalize (pronounce a consonant with the tongue against the palate)

nasalise; nasalize (pronounce with a lowered velum)

nasalise; nasalize (speak nasally or through the nose)

mispronounce; misspeak (pronounce a word incorrectly)

aspirate (pronounce with aspiration; of stop sounds)

sound; vocalise; vocalize; voice (utter with vibrating vocal chords)

retroflex (articulate (a consonant) with the tongue curled back against the palate)

subvocalise; subvocalize (articulate without making audible sounds)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Utter aloud

Example:

She said 'Hello' to everyone in the office

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

express; give tongue to; utter; verbalise; verbalize (articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Express in words

Example:

state your name

Synonyms:

say; state; tell

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

express; give tongue to; utter; verbalise; verbalize (articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise)

Verb group:

say (state as one's opinion or judgement; declare)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "say"):

sum; sum up; summarise; summarize (be a summary of)

give (convey or reveal information)

explain (define)

add; append; supply (state or say further)

mention; note; observe; remark (make mention of)

declare (make a declaration (of dutiable goods) to a customs official)

declare (state emphatically and authoritatively)

get out (express with difficulty)

articulate; enunciate; vocalise; vocalize (express or state clearly)

announce; declare (announce publicly or officially)

introduce; precede; preface; premise (furnish with a preface or introduction)

answer; reply; respond (react verbally)

misstate (state something incorrectly)

lay out; present; represent (bring forward and present to the mind)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

say (the chance to speak)

Sense 9

Meaning:

State as one's opinion or judgement; declare

Example:

I say let's forget this whole business

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Verb group:

say; state; tell (express in words)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

say (the chance to speak)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Report or maintain

Example:

The registrar says that I owe the school money

Synonyms:

allege; aver; say

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

assert; asseverate; maintain (state categorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "say"):

plead (make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding, especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They say that there was a traffic accident

Derivation:

say (the chance to speak)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Have or contain a certain wording or form

Example:

What does the law say?

Synonyms:

read; say

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "say" is one way to...):

feature; have (have as a feature)

Verb group:

read (interpret something that is written or printed)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s Adjective/Noun
Something ----s something

Credits

 Context examples: 

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient put him/herself down or say that he/she feels like a failure?

(NPI - Put Him/Herself Down or Say That He/She Feels Like a Failure, NCI Thesaurus)

If the label says two teaspoons and you're using a dosing cup with ounces only, don't guess.

(Medicines and Children, Food and Drug Administration)

Yesterday the stranger said to me, You may easily perceive, Captain Walton, that I have suffered great and unparalleled misfortunes.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Little Charles does not mind a word I say, and Walter is growing quite as bad.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Does he/she say that he/she feels sad or depressed?

(NPI - Seem Sad or Depressed, NCI Thesaurus)

Experts say that the organs from one donor can save or help as many as 50 people.

(Organ Donation, Health Resources and Services Administration)

It is also said to have many medicinal purposes.

(Lemon Oil, NCI Thesaurus)

There is also said to be a rare silver or gray color.

(Labrador Retriever, NCI Thesaurus)

An uncontrollable urge to say or do something without an obvious reason.

(Compulsion, NCI Dictionary)

It's hard to say what "normal" is.

(Child Development, NIH)