What does saying mean?

Definitions for saying
ˈseɪ ɪŋsay·ing

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word saying.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. saying, expression, locutionnoun

    a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

    "pardon the expression"

Wiktionary

  1. sayingnoun

    A proverb or maxim; something often said.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Sayingnoun

    Expression; words; opinion sententiously delivered.

    Etymology: from say.

    I thank thee, Brutus,
    That thou hast prov’d Lucilius’ saying true. William Shakespeare.

    Moses fled at this saying, and was a stranger in Median. Acts.

    Many are the sayings of the wise,
    Extolling patience as the truest fortitude. John Milton.

    Others try to divert the troubles of other men by pretty and plausible sayings, such as this, that if evils are long, they are but light. John Tillotson, Sermons.

    We poetick folks, who must restrain
    Our measur’d sayings in an equal chain,
    Have troubles utterly unknown to those,
    Who let their fancy loose in rambling prose. Matthew Prior.

    The sacred function can never be hurt by their sayings, if not first reproached by our doings. Francis Atterbury.

ChatGPT

  1. saying

    A saying is a short, memorable phrase or expression commonly used in conversation or writing that conveys an idea, a piece of advice, or a moral lesson. Sayings are often culturally rooted and can reflect wisdom, common sense, or humor. They are used to communicate a message concisely and effectively, promoting understanding and conveying a shared meaning among individuals. Sayings can encompass proverbs, idioms, aphorisms, or other forms of figurative language.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Saying

    of Say

  2. Sayingnoun

    that which is said; a declaration; a statement, especially a proverbial one; an aphorism; a proverb

Freebase

  1. Saying

    A saying is something that is said, notable in one respect or another, to be "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth". There are a number of specific types of saying: ⁕Adage – An aphorism that has gained credibility by virtue of long use. ⁕Aphorism – A concise definition, notably memorable. ⁕Apophthegm – "…an edgy, more cynical aphorism; such as, 'Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children.'" ⁕Bromide – A phrase or platitude that, having been employed excessively, suggests insincerity or a lack of originality in the speaker employing it. ⁕Cliché – An overly commonplace, hackneyed or trite saying. ⁕Epigram – A poetic form of comment on a particular idea, occurrence, or person. ⁕Epithet – A descriptive word or phrase that has become a popular formulation. ⁕Gnome. A type of saying, especially an aphorism or a maxim, that is designed to provide instruction in a compact form. ⁕Idiom – "…an expression whose meaning can’t be derived simply by hearing it, such as 'Kick the bucket.'" ⁕Mantra – A religious or mystical syllable or poetic phrase. ⁕Maxim – A principle or rule. A maxim is a wise saying, especially one intended to advise or recommend a course of conduct. In comparison to its approximate synonyms: saying, adage, saw, motto, epigram, proverb, aphorism, the term maxim stresses the succinct formulation of an ultimate truth, a fundamental principle, or a rule of conduct. The word derives from the Latin word maximus, "greatest", via an expression maxima propositio, "greatest premise".

Editors Contribution

  1. sayingverb

    Verb form of the word say.

    They were saying how much they were looking forward to their wedding day.


    Submitted by MaryC on February 19, 2020  

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'saying' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #773

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'saying' in Written Corpus Frequency: #202

How to pronounce saying?

How to say saying in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of saying in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of saying in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of saying in a Sentence

  1. G. K. Chesterton:

    My country, right or wrong, is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, My mother, drunk or sober.

  2. Wang Guiqiang:

    > SummaryCompaniesSome cities say peak of COVID infections was last monthToo early to say how many infections are severe-Chinese expertChina embassy in South Korea suspends short-term visasChinese state media criticise Pfizer over Paxlovid priceBEIJING, Jan 10( Reuters) - Many parts of China are already past their peak of COVID-19 infections, state media reported on Tuesday, with officials further downplaying the severity of the outbreak despite international concerns about its scale and impact.A summary by Health Times, a publication managed by Peoples Daily, Peoples Daily, said infections have been declining in the capital Beijing and several Chinese provinces. One official was quoted as saying nearly all the 100 million people in Henan province had already been infected.The virus has been spreading freely in China since a policy U-turn in early December after protests against a zero-COVID regime ruthlessly enforced for three years. China reopened its borders on Sunday, removing the last major restrictions.The frequent lockdowns, relentless testing and various levels of movement curbs since early 2020 have brought the worlds second-largest economy to one of its slowest growth rates in nearly half a century and caused widespread distress.With the virus let loose, China has stopped publishing daily infection tallies and has been reporting five or fewer deaths a day since the policy U-turn, figures that have been disputed by the World Health Organisation.Many Chinese funeral homes and hospitals say they are overwhelmed, and international health experts predict at least 1 million COVID-related deaths in China this year.On Tuesday, a Health Times compilation of reports from local government officials and health experts across the country, suggested the COVID wave may be past its peak in many regions.Kan Quan, director of the Office of the Henan Provincial Epidemic Prevention and Control, was cited as saying the infection rate in the central province was nearly 90 % as of Jan. 6. The number of patients at clinics in the province reached a peak on Dec. 19, but the number of severe cases was still high, he said, without giving further details.Yin Yong, acting mayor of Beijing, was cited as saying the capital was also past its peak. Li Pan, deputy director of the Municipal Health Commission in the city of Chongqing said the peak there was reached on Dec. 20. In the province of Jiangsu, the peak was reached on Dec. 22, while in Zheijiang province the first wave of infections has passed smoothly, officials said. Two cities in the southern Guangdong province, Chinas manufacturing heartland, reached their peaks before the end of the year.Separately in the state-run China Daily, a prominent health official said the percentage of severe cases remained unclear.It is still too early to conclude the overall percentage of severe and critical COVID patients in China as different types of hospitals report different numbers, Wang Guiqiang, head of Peking University First Hospitals infectious disease department, was quoted as saying.PFIZER CRITICISMChina has dismissed criticism over its data as politically-motivated attempts to smear its success in handling the pandemic and said any future mutations are likely to be more infectious but cause less severe illness.Testing requirements introduced by several countries, including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Britain, France and others in response to Chinas COVID outbreak, were called out by foreign ministry as discriminatory.Financial markets see the new curbs as mere inconvenience, with the yuan hitting a nearly five-month high on Tuesday.South Korean and Japanese shop owners, Thai tour bus operators and K-pop groups were among those licking their lips at the prospect of more Chinese tourists.Although Beijing also demands negative COVID test results from people landing in China, officials have threatened retaliation against countries mandating tests for visitors from China.The Chinese embassy in South Korea said on Tuesday it will stop issuing short-term visas for Korean citizens.State media has also taken a swipe at Pfizer Inc( PFE.N) over the price for its COVID treatment Paxlovid.It is not a secret that U.S. capital forces have already accumulated quite a fortune from the world via selling vaccines and drugs, and the U.S. government has been coordinating all along, nationalist tabloid Global Times said in an editorial.Pfizers Chief Executive Albert Bourla said on Monday the company was in discussions with Chinese authorities about a price for Paxlovid, but not over licensing a generic version in China.The abrupt change of course in COVID policies has left Chinas health system unprepared, with many hospitals ill-equipped to handle patients in critical conditions and smaller cities scrambling to secure basic anti-fever drug supplies.Yu Weishi, chairman of Youcare Pharmaceutical Group, told Reuters Li Pan firm boosted output of its anti-fever drugs five-fold to one million boxes a day in the past month.Wang Lili, general manager at another pharmaceutical firm, CR Double Crane, told Reuters that intravenous drips were their most in-demand product.The company has since Jan. 5 done away with weekends to meet demand.We are running 24/7.

  3. Eugene McCarthy:

    Saying we should keep the two-party political system simply because it is working is like saying the Titanic voyage was a success because a few people survived on life rafts.

  4. Kingman Brewster, Jr.:

    The function of a briefing paper is to prevent the ambassador from saying something dreadfully indiscreet. I sometimes think its true object is to prevent the ambassador from saying anything at all.

  5. Arizona Sen. John McCain:

    It's mind-boggling that the President could keep saying, and (administration officials) could keep saying what they're saying while thousands of people are being butchered, burning bodies in the streets, executions, beheadings, this is a disaster. It was predicted by me and Sen. Lindsey Graham, and it's going to go on until we develop a strategy.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

saying#1#2180#10000

Translations for saying

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"saying." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 1 Dec. 2023. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/saying>.

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    given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol
    • A. ostensive
    • B. irascible
    • C. bibulous
    • D. dicotyledonous

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