1. A word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
   "It's a saying in our family that 'what goes around comes around'";
   - expression, locution

1. Express in words
   "He said that he wanted to marry her";
   - state, tell
    
2. Report or maintain
   "He said it was too late to intervene in the war"; "The registrar says that I owe the school money";
   - allege, aver
    
3. Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
   "I said to him to go home";
   - order, tell, enjoin
    
4. 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?";
   - suppose
    
5. Have or contain a certain wording or form
   "What does the law say?";
   - read
    
6. Utter aloud
   "She said ‘Hello’ to everyone in the office"
    
7. State as one's opinion or judgement; declare
   "I say let's forget this whole business"
    
8. Say (a word, phrase or syllable) in a certain way
   "I cannot say ‘zip wire’";
   - pronounce, articulate, enounce [archaic], sound out, enunciate
    
9. Communicate or express nonverbally
   "What does this painting say?"; "Did his face say anything about how he felt?"
    
10. Recite or repeat a fixed text
    "Say grace"; "She said her ‘Hail Mary’"
     
11. Indicate
    "The clock says noon"

Derived forms: sayings

Type of: assert, asseverate [archaic], convey, express, feature, give tongue to, have, language, maintain, mouth, muse, oral communication, read, recite, record, register, request, show, speak, speculate, speech, speech communication, spoken communication, spoken language, talk, utter, verbalise [Brit], verbalize, voice communication

Encyclopedia: Saying