3 VERB You can mention the contents of a piece of writing by mentioning what it says or what someone says in it. □ [V that] The report says there is widespread and routine torture of political prisoners in the country. □ [V with quote] You can't have one without the other, as the song says. □ [V with quote] 'Highly inflammable,' it says on the spare canister. □ [V so ] It is a pervasively religious school and believes whatever the Bible says is so.
4 VERB If you say something to yourself , you think it. □ [V + to ] Perhaps I'm still dreaming, I said to myself.
5 N‑SING [oft more/some N ] If you have a say in something, you have the right to give your opinion and influence decisions relating to it. □ [+ in ] The students wanted more say in the government of the university.
6 VERB You indicate the information given by something such as a clock, dial, or map by mentioning what it says . □ [V n] The clock said four minutes past eleven. □ [V that] The map says there's six of them.
7 VERB If something says something about a person, situation, or thing, it gives important information about them. □ [V amount + about ] I think that says a lot about how well she is playing. □ [V n + about ] The appearance of the place says something about the importance of the project.
8 VERB If something says a lot for a person or thing, it shows that this person or thing is very good or has a lot of good qualities. □ [V amount + for ] It says a lot for him that he has raised his game to the level required. □ [V n + for ] It says much for the author's skill that the book is sad, but never depressing.
9 VERB You use say in expressions such as I'll say that for them and you can say this for them after or before you mention a good quality that someone has, usually when you think they do not have many good qualities. □ [V n + for ] He's usually smartly-dressed, I'll say that for him. □ [V n] At the very least, he is devastatingly sure of himself, you can say that.
10 VERB You can use say when you want to discuss something that might possibly happen or be true. □ [V that] Say you could change anything about the world we live in, what would it be?
11 PHRASE You can use say or let's say when you mention something as an example. □ If funds start arriving in January, construction can begin in, say, June.
12 PHRASE If you say that something says it all , you mean that it shows you very clearly the truth about a situation or someone's feelings. □ This is my third visit in a week, which says it all.
13 CONVENTION You can use ' You don't say ' to express surprise at what someone has told you. People often use this expression to indicate that in fact they are not surprised. [FEELINGS ] □ 'I'm a writer.'—'You don't say. What kind of book are you writing?'
14 PHRASE If you say there is a lot to be said for something, you mean you think it has a lot of good qualities or aspects. □ There's a lot to be said for being based in the country.
15 PHRASE If someone asks what you have to say for yourself , they are asking what excuse you have for what you have done. □ 'Well,' she said eventually, 'what have you to say for yourself?'
16 PHRASE If something goes without saying , it is obvious. □ It goes without saying that anything fried is going to be high in oil and thus calories.
17 PHRASE When one of the people or groups involved in a discussion has their say , they give their opinion. □ The Football Association have had their say.
18 CONVENTION You use ' I wouldn't say no ' to indicate that you would like something, especially something that has just been offered to you. [INFORMAL , FORMULAE ] □ [+ to ] I wouldn't say no to a drink.
19 PHRASE You use to say nothing of when you mention an additional thing which gives even more strength to the point you are making. □ Unemployment leads to a sense of uselessness, to say nothing of financial problems.
20 PHRASE You use that is to say or that's to say to indicate that you are about to express the same idea more clearly or precisely. [FORMAL ] □ All the B Vitamins work synergistically. That is to say, they are more potent when taken together than when used separately.
21 CONVENTION You can use ' You can say that again ' to express strong agreement with what someone has just said. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ 'Must have been a fiddly job.'—'You can say that again.'
22 to say the least → see least
23 needless to say → see needless USAGE say
Don’t put a word such as ‘me’ or ‘her’ directly after say
. For example, don’t say ‘
say|ing /se I I ŋ/ (sayings )
1 N‑COUNT A saying is a sentence that people often say and that gives advice or information about human life and experience. □ We also realize the truth of that old saying: Charity begins at home.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The sayings of a person, especially a religious or political leader, are important things that they said or pieces of advice that they gave. □ [+ of ] The sayings of Confucius offer guidance on this matter.
sa y-so N‑SING [oft with poss] If you do something on someone's say-so , they tell you to do it or they give you permission to do it. [INFORMAL ] □ Directors call the shots and nothing happens on set without their say-so.
scab /skæ b/ (scabs )