Alternative words for the word said

feature-speak-can

One of the words that comes up most commonly in various types of writing, from fiction to academic writing, is the word “said.” Any time a writer is referencing the words or thoughts expressed by another person, whether that be thoughts expressed verbally or in writing, an appropriate way to introduce—or attribute—that person’s thoughts is with the phrase “said.” 

But if you’re incorporating a lot of quotations in your writing, you might find yourself repeating  the word “said” a lot. Repeating the same phrase in a piece of writing can start to feel monotonous, which is why incorporating synonyms or an oft-used word or phrase can make your writing more interesting and accurate. But here’s some good news: there are tons of other words for “said” out there for you to use! 

To help you build a repertoire of words to replace “said,” we’re going to do the following in this article: 

  • Explain the importance of using word variety and avoiding repetition of the same word in your writing
  • Explain when to use “said” and when not to use “said” 
  • Provide a comprehensive list of alternative words for “said,” organized into categories based on emotion and intention

Ready to check out some synonyms for “said”? Then let’s get going!

body-orange-speech-bubbles

To give you the most comprehensive and easy-to-navigate list, we’ve organized our list into two main categories: first, we’re including several lists of other words for “said” by emotion, and second, we’re including several lists of different words for “said” by intention or action. You can decide what meaning you’re trying to express in your writing, and use our lists accordingly!

Happy Words to Use Instead of “Said”

We’re going to kick off our list by giving you a lot of other words for “said” by emotion, starting with synonyms for “said” that convey a happy, joyful, or positive tone. 

Applauded

Congratulated 

Prattled

Approved

Consoled

Preened

Assured

Cooed

Proclaimed

Babbled

Crowed

Professed

Bantered

Encouraged

Promised

Beamed

Giggled 

Quipped

Blathered

Greeted

Reassured

Blithered

Hooted

Reckoned

Boasted

Jabbered

Remarked

Bragged

Jested

Remembered

Bubbled

Joked

Sang

Cheered

Laughed

Smiled

Chortled

Marveled

Soothed

Chorused

Nodded

Spoke

Chuckled

Offered

Teased

Comforted

Piped

Vowed

Confided

Praised

Yakked

Sad Words to Use Instead of “Said” 

Sadness is a common emotion expressed in writing—let’s look at a few synonyms for “said” that convey sadness. 

Bawled

Gurgled

Sobbed 

Choked

Moaned

Wailed

Coughed

Sighed

Wept

Cried

Sniffed

Whimpered

Groaned

Sniffled

Whined

Angry Words to Replace “Said”

There are a ton of synonyms for “said” that express anger, and we’ve included several of them for you here. 

Accused

Disparaged

Rejected

Badgered

Fumed

Reprimanded

Barked

Griped

Reproached

Bellowed

Groused

Roared

Berated

Growled

Sassed

Boomed

Grunted

Scoffed

Censured

Harassed

Scolded

Chastised

Hissed

Scorned

Chided

Hollered

Shouted

Clucked

Interrupted

Smirked

Commanded

Jeered

Snapped

Complained

Jibed

Snarled

Corrected

Mocked

Sneered

Criticized

Muttered

Snickered

Demanded

Nagged

Snorted

Denied

Ranted

Stormed

Deried

Rebuked

Taunted

Dismissed

Rebuffed

Threatened

body-monkeys-shocked

Different Words for “Said” That Express Shock or Surprise

When you want to communicate a tone of shock or surprise in your writing, try using these synonyms for “said”! 

Blurted

Gawked

Spouted

Divulged

Leered

Started

Exclaimed

Let slip

Wondered

Gaped

Ogled

 

Gasped

Spilled

 

Other Words for “Said” That Express Fear

The last emotion it might be helpful to be able to express accurately and vividly in your writing is fear. Here’s a list of synonyms for “said” that you can use to demonstrate a feeling of fear. 

Agonized

Hesitated

Shrilled

Begged

Implored

Shuddered

Beseeched

Mumbled

Spluttered

Blanched

Murmured

Spooked

Bleated

Paled

Sputtered

Brooded

Panicked

Squeaked

Cautioned

Panted

Stammered

Confessed

Pleaded

Started

Cowered

Quaked

Tensed

Cringed

Quavered

Trembled

Croaked

Quivered

Warned

Faltered

Recoiled

Whispered

Fretted

Screamed

Worried

Gasped

Shivered

Yelped

Gulped

Shrieked

 

Words to Replace “Said” That Are Expository

If you’re working with a quote in which the speaker is clarifying information or explaining something, you can try out these words instead of “said”!

Added

Depicted

Rejoined

Advised

Elucidated

Remarked

Answered

Explained

Replied

Clarified

Illuminated

Responded

Defined

Illustrated

Retorted

Delineated

Portrayed

Returned

Other Words for “Said” That Are Argumentative

When you incorporate quotes or dialogue that make an argument, use these synonyms for “said” in your attributions.

Advanced

Claimed

Insisted

Appealed

Contended

Maintained

Argued

Corroborated

Posited

Attested

Countered

Proposed

Authenticated

Declared

Refuted

Bespoke

Defended

Substantiated

Certified

Emphasized

 

Challenged

Held

 

body-point-one-star

Words to Use Instead of “Said” That Are Critical 

If a speaker in a quote or piece of dialogue is forming a critique, incorporate one of these different words for “said” in your attribution.

Analyzed

Critiqued

Gauged

Appraised

Estimated

Interposed

Assayed

Evaluated

Interpreted

Assessed

Examined

Judged

Concluded

Explicated

Reviewed

Considered

Figured

Surveyed

Words to Use Instead of “Said” That Are Implicative

Try using these alternative words for “said” that imply meaning. 

Adumbrated

Hinted

Predicted

Alluded

Implied

Professed

Connoted

Indicated

Signaled

Foreshadowed

Insinuated

Signified

Forewarned

Intimated

Stated

Heralded

Portended

Suggested

Words to Replace “Said” That Seek Information

Sometimes you need to include an attribution that shows a speaker is searching for information. These synonyms for “said” can help you establish a tone of inquisitiveness!

Adjured

Inquired

Questioned

Asked

Inspected

Quizzed

Begged

Interrogated

Requested

Demanded

Perused

Researched

Exhorted

Pondered

Scrutinized

Explored

Probed

Searched

Implored

Queried

 

body-book-glasses-knowledge

Words to Replace “Said” That Reveal Information

Finally, if you need a word other than “said” that reveals information, try out the options in the list below. 

Accepted

Conceded

Owned

Acknowledged

Confessed

Recognized

Admitted

Disclosed

Reported

Affirmed

Divulged

Revealed

Alleged

Exposed

Volunteered

Allowed

Granted

 

Betrayed

Imparted

 

body-yes-no

When to Use Different Words for “Said” in Your Writing…And When Not To

In most cases, deciding when to use words other than “said” in your writing is up to your discretion. But there are actually some situations when it’s correct to use “said” exclusively to attribute a piece of dialogue or a quote in your writing. This depends on the type of writing, so we’re going to break down the situations when you should definitely use “said” here!

Journalism

The first situation where you can expect to see writers exclusively using “said” is in any type of writing that relies on AP Style. “AP” stands for “Associated Press,” and this set of style guidelines is the standard for journalistic writing. This includes writing for newspapers, magazines, and public relations in the United States. AP Style provides a lot of rules about grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language use, and using “said” for quote attribution is one of those rules.

Impartiality and objectivity are two values that are extremely important in journalistic writing. Unlike many synonyms for “said,” which reveal a speaker’s feelings, attitude, or intentions, “said” doesn’t try to interpret the feelings, attitude, or intentions of the speaker. “Said” just states factual information: the words in the quote were spoken by a person or group of people. Using “said” allows the journalist to remain impartial and objective about the information, and it also lets readers interpret the meaning of quoted material on their own. 

Technical Writing

While not exactly a rule, using “said” is an unspoken expectation for quote attribution in technical writing. Technical writing is a style of writing used in business environments and some scientific fields, like engineering. It’s important for this style of writing to be clear, specific, and, in most cases, concise. In fact, readers of technical writing appreciate a writer’s ability to communicate directly and plainly by using short, direct words. That’s why “said” is the best choice for introducing quotes or paraphrases in technical writing: it’s clear, specific, and concise. 

body-person-writing

Creative Writing 

Creative writing is a third situation that might require you to think strategically about when to use “said.” In creative writing—like fiction, for instance—when and how often to use “said” is pretty much up for debate. There are a lot of synonyms for “said” that you can use to convey the emotions or intentions of a character in dialogue, but you don’t necessarily have to use some flowery synonym for “said” every time you include a piece of dialogue in creative writing. In fact, sometimes it’s okay to strategically omit attributions altogether. 

Here’s one example of a way to present dialogue in creative writing that doesn’t overuse attributions: 

She crossed her arms angrily. “So you weren’t planning to tell me about your trip to Paris until after you were already gone?”

“I suppose I didn’t see the point.” Paige shook her head. “It’s not like you would’ve let me go if I’d told you ahead of time.” 

“That’s really selfish, Paige.” 

Even without attributions for every piece of dialogue in the example above, you can still get an idea of how the characters feel and what their intentions are through the dialogue beats (“She crossed her arms angrily,” and, “Paige shook her head”). Alternatively, dialogue attributions in creative writing are another place where word variety is important. Your attributions are a great way for you to add emotion and imagery to your work. That means sometimes you might simply use “said,” sometimes you might use a more expressive synonym for “said,” and other times you might forego attributions altogether.

Academic Writing

One final writing situation where you’ll find yourself needing to make decisions about when to use “said” is academic, research-based writing. In academic writing, it’s important to be clear about who you are quoting and to provide adequate context for the quote you include. For example, if the scholar you’re quoting is making an argument in the quote you include, it would be more accurate to say, “Dr. Garcia argued” or “Dr. Garcia claimed,” instead of “Dr. Garcia said.” Using a quote attribution that gives your reader a clearer sense of the speaker or writer’s purpose and tone. 

body-red-pencil-important

3 Reasons Why Word Variety Is Important in Writing

Word variety is important to any type of writing for three main reasons: using a variety of words can make your writing more engaging, more accurate, and more expressive.

First, using a variety of words can make your writing more engaging and interesting for the people who are reading it. In some types of writing, like poetry, repetition is used as a strategic stylistic device. In lots of cases, though, writers repeat the same word because they don’t know its synonyms. After a while, readers might feel a bit exhausted by repetitiveness in a piece of writing. That’s one reason why knowing and using synonyms for commonly repeated words is so important!

Second, word variety can make your writing more accurate. For example, while “said” is always going to accurately describe a piece of dialogue or a quote from an outside source, there are words to use instead of “said” that can reveal the intention behind dialogue or the information conveyed in a quote

Let’s say you incorporate a quote where the author is disagreeing with a point made by a scholar. Sure, you could introduce that quote with, “Dr. Smith said.” But you could be more accurate by introducing the quote with a word that indicates that the quote is going to express disagreement, like, “Dr. Smith countered” or “Dr. Smith responded.” 

Finally, your writing is expressive and vivid when you avoid repetition. When your word choice reflects the emotions or tone expressed by a quote or piece of dialogue that you include in your writing, your readers can get a better sense of your intended meaning. Using synonyms for “said” to create tone and imagery in your writing can help readers better understand your position and make them more willing to buy into your ideas. 

body_choice_arrows

What’s Next? 

If you’re studying for the verbal portion of your SAT or ACT, we’ve got you covered. Here are our expert guides to the verbal portions of the SAT and ACT, and we even have tips and tricks to help you tackle the essay sections! These are just a few of the tons (and tons!) of resources we have, so be sure to check out our blog for more information.

This cheat sheet for ways to say “said” can be really helpful if you’re starting to write your college admissions essays. Learn how to start your essay off perfectly, and make sure you know the biggest mistakes you should avoid, too.

If you’re using this guide to help you write creatively, you might be a great fit for a creative writing degree! Here’s a guide to the best creative writing colleges and programs in the United States. 

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

author image

About the Author

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Synonyms of said

    • To save this word, you’ll need to log in.

as in aforementioned

mentioned previously

with said guidebook in hand, we set off to explore the city


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

past tense of say

1

as in told

to express (a thought or emotion) in words

why don’t you just say what’s on your mind?


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

as in expressed

to convey in appropriate or telling terms

I’m not quite sure how to say this, but that’s the worst essay I’ve ever read

3

as in recited

to give from memory

say your prayers


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

as in assumed

to take as true or as a fact without actual proof

let’s say, for the sake of argument, that this is true


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Articles Related to said

Thesaurus Entries Near said

Cite this Entry

“Said.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/said. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on said

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

Words at Play

  • top 10 unusually long and interesting words vol 2 embourgeoisement
    13 Unusually Long English Words

    Pulchritudinous and many more

  • image536372841
    Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes

    When each letter can be seen but not heard

  • image576109549
    ‘Dunderhead’ and Other ‘Nicer’ Ways to Say Stupid

    As illustrated by some very smart pups

  • merriam webster time traveler
    When Were Words First Used?

    Look up any year to find out

Ask the Editors

  • video moose goose weird plurals
    Weird Plurals

    One goose, two geese. One moose, two… moose. Wh…

  • video irregardless grammar peeve blend of the synonyms irrespective and regardless
    Irregardless

    It is in fact a real word (but that doesn’t mean …

  • bring vs take video
    Bring vs. Take

    Both words imply motion, but the difference may b…

  • video defenesetration
    Defenestration

    The fascinating story behind many people’s favori…

Word Games

  • back-of-head-mortarboard
    Name That Hat!

    Time to put on your thinking cap.

    Take the quiz

  • name that thing flower edition
    Name That Flower

    Can you tell the difference between a lilac and a…

    Take the quiz

  • True or False
    True or False?

    Test your knowledge — and maybe learn something a…

    Take the quiz

  • winning words from the national spelling bee logo
    Spelling Bee Quiz

    Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli…

    Take the quiz

Advanced Vocabulary & Collocations

Do you ever notice that we use the word “said” a lot? He said this, she said that, then I said something else. Now there’s nothing wrong with the word “said,” it’s perfectly fine – but the English language has TONS of other options.

Today we’re going to learn 40 alternatives to “said” – and as you will see, each one adds some extra meaning describing the way the person said something, or the reason they spoke.

If you want to expand your vocabulary beyond basic words, then you’ll love my Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations Course. The lessons inside teach you more than 1000 high-level words to help take your English vocabulary from “simple” to “sophisticated.” One student described it as “like a gold mine for my vocabulary.” Click below for more information and to join:

OK, now let’s look at some different words we can use to describe people talking or saying something. We’ll start with some simple ones, and then move on to verbs that have additional meaning.

mention / comment / remark / state

  • He said that he used to be a piano teacher.
  • He mentioned/commented/remarked/stated that he used to be a piano teacher.

All of these are basically alternatives to “He said.”

Mention is often used when someone just talks briefly about something, they don’t talk in detail about the topic. And state is often used for somewhat more official things, like when someone on trial states that they are innocent of a crime, or a politician states his/her position on an issue.

add / answer / reply / respond / reiterate

These verbs all provide some information about context of a conversation.

If we answer, reply, or respond, then we are saying something in reaction to another person’s question or statement:

  • I asked her if she’d ever been to Mexico; she replied that she hadn’t.

To add means to provide additional information, either to your own previously-mentioned point or to someone else’s point:

  • Brian described the environmental benefits of the new law, and Melissa added that it would also reduce costs.
  • I told the interviewer about my experience as a writer, and then added that I’d also received several awards for my stories.

To reiterate is similar to the verb “to repeat” – it means to say something again; sometimes using the same words and sometimes using different phrasing.

  • The supervisor of the factory reiterated that safety was the primary concern.

ramble / rant / go on and on

These verbs mean that someone is talking excessively about a topic:

  • My son spent the whole car ride rambling about his favorite superheroes.
  • Our boss went on and on about the importance of customer satisfaction.

recite / rattle off

These are used when someone says something (or a list of things) that they have memorized:

  • The lawyer recited the text of the law without needing to check her notes.
  • He’s a big fan of Star Wars and can rattle off the names of all the movies.

claim / swear / maintain / insist / stress / emphasize

To claim something means to say it is true (sometimes in situations where someone is doubting that) – and to swear that something is true is adding extra force to your claim.

If other people question you or doubt you, then you might maintain or insist that it’s true – keeping to your position over time, or repeatedly. You might stress / emphasize (give extra importance to) some of the best evidence.

insinuate / imply / hint

These words are used for saying things indirectly. For example, if someone is talking about how unhappy he is with his current girlfriend, he might insinuate / imply / hint that he’s planning to break up with her soon. He doesn’t say it specifically, but you can “read between the lines” and understand it.

blurt / reveal / confess / point out

These verbs all have to do with giving information. To blurt or blurt out means to say something spontaneously without really thinking about it beforehand.

To reveal means to say some information that was previously hidden/secret – for example, She revealed that the company knew about the defective products but didn’t do anything.

To confess means to reveal you did something wrong, or say something to which other people might react negatively:

  • She confessed that she’d stolen the money.
  • He confessed that he didn’t really like his mother’s cooking.

And to point out simply means to say an observation:

  • I pointed out that the paint we bought was a slightly different color than the paint already on the walls.

Next we have some words that have to do with the tone or way of talking, as well as the emotion when speaking.

rant / gripe / hiss / snap / retort

To gripe means to complain, and to rant means to talk a lot in an angry way. These verbs are usually followed by “about”:

  • She ranted about how unfair it was that she had to work overtime without extra pay.
  • Stop griping about all the work you have to do, and just get started!

To hiss means to say something angrily in a soft voice, like an aggressive snake:

  • The people sitting in front of us in the movie theater turned around and hissed, “Shut up!”

Snap and retort both mean to say something in a quick and angry way, usually when we’re in a bad mood or in response to someone else’s insult:

  • I asked my wife what time dinner would be ready, and she snapped that she hadn’t had time to prepare anything.
  • He was making fun of his sister’s job as a house cleaner, and she retorted that his job as an administrative assistant wasn’t exactly glamorous, either.

gush / joke / exclaim

To gush about something means to say lots of extremely good things about it, because you really love it or you think it’s great. When we joke about a topic, we say things about it that are supposed to be funny, not taking it too seriously.

To exclaim means to say something in surprise – this could be a good or bad surprise:

  • My boss exclaimed that this was the best work he’d ever seen.
  • “Ugh, this hotel room is filthy!” we exclaimed when we arrived.

advise / caution / warn / beg / implore / press / urge

These words are used for saying things to try to influence someone else’s behavior. Advise is used for giving general advice, and caution/warn are used for alerting someone to danger:

  • I advised him to send a cover letter with his resume.
  • They cautioned/warned me not to go into that bad neighborhood at night.

To beg/implore someone to do something means to ask persistently with a lot of emotion:

  • He begged her to forgive him after he cheated on her.
  • We implored the teacher to give us more time to finish the project.

To press/urge someone refers to applying strong pressure:

  • We need to make a decision – the other company has been pressing us for a response all week.
  • I urged her not to give up on her musical career, because she has real talent.

Now you know a great variety of words to describe different ways of talking and reasons for saying something. And if you’d really like to take your vocabulary up to the next level, I’d encourage you to join my Advanced Vocabulary and Collocations Course.

For now, why don’t you try using a few of the words from today’s lesson in your own sentences? That’s a great way to establish them better in your memory. Thanks for watching and I’ll talk to you next time!

This is page is updated often. Be sure to refresh the page by pressing both the Ctrl key and the F5 key to ensure you are seeing the latest version.

Looking for a specific word? Press the Ctrl key and the F key to open up a search box.

For instructions on how to properly use the words below, click the instructions button below:

👨🏼‍🏫 Instructions

To see the list below without the definitions and examples, click the button below:

🗜️ Condensed

To quickly jump down to the category or emotion you wish to view, simply click the buttons below:

  • Answering  💬
  • Chatter  🤓
  • Debate  🗣
  • Humor  😂
  • Persuasion  😉
  • Provoke  👿
  • Purpose  ‼
  • Questions  🤔
  • Uncertainty  🙄
  • Speech  📣
  • Anger  😠
  • Disgust  😝
  • Embarrass  😳
  • Fear  😱
  • Frustrated  🤨
  • Happiness  😀
  • Love  💘
  • Regret  🤐
  • Sadness  😢
  • Surprise  😲
  • Tiredness  😴
  • Not Assoc  🤷

The words below are classified by category

The action of ANSWERING   💬

acknowledged

(verb) to show or express recognition or realization of.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard you,” Jason acknowledged.

added

(verb) to say further.

“Even if it’s not true,“ Evan added, “We’re only speculating.”

answered

(verb) to speak or write in response to; reply to.

“When will I be home? I’ll be home in an hour,” answered Jamie.

articulated

(verb) to give clear and effective utterance to : to put into words.

“Please! Do not bring your textbook tomorrow!” Miss Lim articulated. (submitted by Han Y.)

clarified

(verb) to make (an idea, statement, etc.) clear or intelligible; to free from ambiguity.

“So, we just read up until chapter eight?” Vonnie clarified with the teacher, just to be sure. (submitted by Katherine K.)

commented

(verb) to express an opinion or reaction.

“There are a lot more animals here than yesterday,” Robert commented. (submitted by Nathaniel F.)

conceded

(verb) to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit.

“All right, all right, you win. Lincoln was a better president than Grant,” conceded Stephen as he held his palms up in mock surrender.

concurred

(verb) to accord in opinion; agree.

“Shall we dine?” Alice asked. “Indeed!” Bob concurred. (submitted by Anastasia K.)

corrected

(verb) to set or make true, accurate, or right; remove the errors or faults.

“What do you mean, I never take out the trash? I do it every week.” Phylis’ husband corrected.

counseled

(verb) to give counel or advice

“Since your grades are high enough, you should consider applying to Harvard or Yale,” counseled Jerry’s teacher.

deflected

(verb) to prevent something from being directed at you.

“Well, at least I don’t have a huge forehead!” Elizabeth deflected. (submitted by Jaylin)

disagreed

(verb) to differ in opinion; dissent.

“There is no scientific evidence that supports global warming and you know it!” disagreed Kyle as he shook his head at the ignorance of his friend.

disputed

(verb) to argue against; call in question.

“No, no, no, I disagree with you. NASA landing on the moon is not a hoax!” Jason disputed as the class watched the historical footage.

explained

(verb) to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible.

“No, no, no, you don’t understand. What I was saying was that I would take the trash out right after I finished my homework,” Claude explained, as his mother looked at him with a stern expression on her face.

interjected

(verb) to say something while another person is speaking.

“That’s a lie!” Wayne interjected.

reassured

(verb) to restore to assurance or confidence.

“It’ll be okay,” she reassured, as she wiped a tear from my eye.” (submitted by Reagan H.)

remarked

(verb) to note; to perceive; to observe.

“Tom doesn’t look like he’s feeling well today,” Sue remarked.

replied

(verb) to respond in words or writing.

“Of course I’ll go to the movies with you,” Anne replied.

responded

(verb) to say something in return: make an answer.

“The capital of Illinois is Springfield,” reponded Jenny after the teacher called upon her to answer the question.

stated

(verb) to declare definitely or specifically.

“We won the basketball game tonight because our team made no mistakes,” stated the coach.

Words associated with chatter (jabber)   nerd emoji

babbled

(verb) to talk idly, irrationally, excessively, or foolishly; chatter or prattle.

“Oh my gosh, it’s so awesome, and I got it at FAO Schwartz last year, and I wish you could share it with me…” Phil babbled. (submitted by Mia M.)

chatted

(verb) to converse in a familiar or informal manner.

“I had a quiz in math today, which I got an “A” on, by the way. And Jessica, who sits next to me in English class, was sick today,” chatted Helga at the dinner table.

chattered

(verb) to talk rapidly in a foolish or purposeless way; jabber.

“I started off with breakfast this morning and after that I played video games all morning. Then I ate lunch and after that I played video games all afternoon. Then I ate supper and after that I played video games some more. All in all, it’s been a very good day,” chattered James as he got ready for bed.

effused

(verb) to talk in an unrestrained, excited manner.

“You look so radiant, so stunning, so fabulous in that dress, that I, I, I, just don’t know what to say,” effused Alice.

jabbered

(verb) to talk or utter rapidly, indistinctly, incoherently, or nonsensically; chatter.

“Haven’t you heard? June’s gonna be selling tickets to the game. I can’t wait, it’s gonna be so great!” Andrew jabbered, jumping up and down eagerly. (submitted by Jackie L.)

nattered (U.K.)

(verb) to talk incessantly; chatter.

“After lunch we went to the mall where we went shopping. Then we got ice cream. Then we we went home and I played video games untilit was time for bed,” Jake nattered.

prattled

(verb) to speak foolishly.

“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe you actuallly got me an XBox one for my Birthday! I mean, I’ve always wanted one, but I didn’t think I’d actually get one. This is so exciting I can’t hardly stand it,” prattled Andy as he tore the wrapping paper off his present.

“Well, I think he’s mean because… just because!” Adaline prattled, sticking up her chin defiantly. (submitted by Jackie L.)

rambled

(verb) to talk or write in a discursive, aimless way.

“Well first, we went to the park, and then we played on the swings, and then we went over to slide,” rambled Johnnie.

yakked

(verb) to talk persistently, chatter.

“He was a man loaded with money, or so I had thought – well, at least he gave me the impression that he was wealthy,” yakked Robert, who hadn’t even noticed that John had stopped listening and was playing with his phone.

yapped

(verb) talk at length in an irritating manner.

“Before any of you start complaining about how you think I am too sensitive, please please don’t even bother. I really don’t care what you think because your opinions don’t really matter to me,” yapped Nelson, who wasn’t overly concerned about anyone’s feelings except his own.

Words associated with debate   speaking head emoji

concluded

(verb) to bring to an end; finish; terminate.

“Those are the reasons why everyone should this story,” Alice concluded, finishing up her her oral book report.

considered

(verb) think carefully about (something), typically before making a decision.

“I wonder,” Billy considered, “whether or not I should try out for percussion.” (submitted by Nathan F.)

countered

(verb) to meet attacks or arguments with defensive or retaliatory steps.

“I did to clean my room!” countered Billy.

debated

(verb) to discuss a question by considering opposed arguments

“Man does indeed have free will,” debated Ted.

refuted

(verb) to prove wrong by argument or evidence: show to be false or erroneous.

“That’s not true, I wasn’t even in town Wednesday afternoon!” refuted Wendy.

hypothesized

(verb) to assume by hypothesis (an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument).

“Machu Picchu was the birthplace of the first Inca and the hub of the Inca civilization,” hypothesized Professor Milbourne.

noted

(verb) to make special mention of or remark on

“I see that you forgot your homework again,” noted Kyle’s algebra teacher.

objected

(verb) to offer a reason or argument in opposition.

“I did not hit Bob first, he hit me first,” objected Tim as his mother started to scold him.

pointed out

(verb) to direct attention to.

“If you get caught, you’ll be in big trouble,” Gabriel pointed out as he watched his older brother climb out the bedroom window.

pondered

(verb) to think about; reflect on.

“I wonder what would happen if I added salt to my cola,” Wayne pondered.

proposed

(verb) to offer or suggest for consideration, acceptance, or action.

“Why don’t I take the girls shopping while you play video games with the boys here at home?” proposed the children’s mother.

reasoned

(verb) to discover, formulate, or conclude by the use of reason.

“It’s impossible to finish by tomorrow,” Ashley reasoned. “Can’t we have another day?” (submitted by Sarah S.)

rebutted

(verb) to contradict or oppose by formal legal argument, plea, or countervailing proof

“I hadn’t even arrived here when the murder happened,” Vivian rebutted. (submitted by Penelope Castiglione)

reiterated

(verb) to repeat something you have already said in order to emphasize it.

“For the last time, whales do not eat humans,” reiterated Bob as he wondered how many times he would have to repeat himself.

rejoined

(verb) to say in answer; reply, especially to counterreply.

“No, no, no. You just took what I said out of context,” rejoined Hamilton.

reported

(verb) to give a formal or official account or statement of something.

“The test is going to be on classifying animals,” reported the teacher. (submitted by Nora D.)

restated

(verb) to state again or in a new way.

“Go clean your room,” restated Alan’s mother.

speculated

(verb) to indulge in conjectural thought.

“I think I had better study for the algebra test this Friday,” speculated Fred.

surmised

(verb) to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; conjecture; guess.

“Looking back on it, I think that Julie planned this all along,” Jacob surmised.

testified

(verb) to bear witness; give evidence.

“Well your honor, there is no evidence that he stole the diamond,” the lawyer testified. (submitted by Grace R.)

theorized

(verb) to form a theory about. (a theory is a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact.)

“How you define gravity, defines the model of the universe,” Professor Belvidere theorized.

verified

(verb) make sure or demonstrate that (something) is true, accurate, or justified.

“That is indeed a dog,” Leo verified. (submitted by Claire E.)

Words associated with HUMOR   wink emoji

bantered

(verb) to exchange remarks in a good-humoured teasing way.

“Sure Phil, you always get a 100 on your math tests, but I’ll bet that today you’ll only get a 98,” Carol bantered.

chortled

(verb) to chuckle gleefully.

“Aw, you try so hard to impress me!” I chortled in joy. (submitted by Brianna L.)

chuckled

(verb) to laugh softly or amusedly, usually with satisfaction.

Hank walked out of the classroom, softly closing the door behind him. He glanced up and down the hallway, making sure that no one saw him, and chuckled. “This will be the best practical joke ever.”

giggled

(verb) to laugh in a silly, often high-pitched way, especially with short, repeated gasps and titters, as from juvenile or ill-concealed amusement or nervous embarrassment.

“Johnny’s looking at me isn’t he?” giggled Leslie as she playfully ran her fingers through her hair.

guffawed

(verb) to laugh loudly and boisterously.

“You sure are funny,” Peter guffawed as he slapped his friend on the back.

jested

(verb) a joke or witty remark; witticism.

“Sure I have plenty of money. In fact, it grows on a tree in my backyard,” jested Jim.

joked

(verb) to speak or act in a playful or merry way.

“Let me tell you about the time I tried to open my house door with my car keys” joked Robert.

joshed

(intansitive verb) to engage in banter: joke.
(verb) to tease good-naturedly: kid.

“You may be a fast runner, but you’re not as fast as Superman,” joshed Ken as he congratulated his friend on winning the race.

Words associated with PERSUASION   wink emoji

advised

(verb) to give counsel to; offer an opinion or suggestion as worth following.

“You should wear a helmet when you ride a bike,” advised the police officer.

appealed

(verb) to ask for aid, support, mercy, sympathy, or the like; make an earnest entreaty.

“Eveyone please calm down,” appealed the teacher after announcing the pop quiz.

asserted

(verb) to state with assurance, confidence, or force; state strongly or positively; affirm

“How dare you accuse me of stealing your necklace! I did not steal it and you know it!” Sheila asserted.

assured

(verb) to declare earnestly to; inform or tell positively; state with confidence.

“The monsters don’t come out during the day,” assured Mack. (submitted by Kayla F.)

avowed

(verb) to declare frankly or openly; own; acknowledge; confess; admit.

“I have not eaten chocolate for over thirty days!” she avowed rather forcefully.

begged

(verb) to ask humbly or earnestly.

“Please don’t make me eat the beets; they make me gag.” Mandy begged.

beseeched

(verb) to implore urgently.

“Please, please don’t marry him. He’s the wrong man for you,” beseeched Mary when she heard that her sister had gotten engaged.

cajoled

(verb) to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.

“Come on Dad, please take me to the mall. You want to get out of the house anyway, don’t you?” Sally cajoled as she pulled her dad up off the sofa.

claimed

(verb) to assert or maintain as a fact.

“Everybody knows that Jacob cheated on the test,” claimed Billy.

convinced

(verb) to persuade.

“I know that dog belongs to Mr. Jennings next door, because I saw him bring it home yesterday,” nodded Terry as he convinced his sister that the dog next door really did belong there.

directed

(verb) to give authoritative instructions to; command; order or ordain:

“You in the orange skirt, sit down right now!” directed the teacher as she stood at her desk, looking at the new students.

encouraged

(verb) to inspire with courage or confidence.

“Do it,” he encouraged. (submitted by Alysha B.)

entreated

(verb) to ask earnestly; beseech; implore; beg.

“Please Dad, please, can we go to the water park this weekend?” entreated Melissa.

implored

(verb) to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy; beseech; entreat.

“Please, please, don’t make me go into the haunted house; I don’t like it there,” implored Tim as he and his brother walked up to the old abanded shack.

needled

(verb) to prod or goad (someone) to a specific action. Can also be defined as: to tease.

“Come on, go shopping with me. Don’t make go by myself,” needled Jenny as she tried to pull her older sister off the chair.

pleaded (pled)

(verb) to appeal or entreat earnestly.

“Please, Dad, can we go out to eat tonight, please?” pleaded Timmy.

probed

(verb) to search into and explore very thoroughly : subject to a penetrating investigation

“Where were you between the hours of five and seven on the night of the murder?” The detective probed. (submitted by Sophie F.)

prodded

(verb) to urge someone on.

“And?” Amy prodded when Ken fell silent.

prompted

(verb) to move to action : incite

“Go on, Larry, kiss her,” prompted Harold, “you know you want to.”

soothed

(verb) to bring comfort, solace, or reassurance to.

“There, there, it’s alright now,” Robin soothed as she lifted her crying baby up out of the crib.

stressed

(verb) to lay stress on; to emphasize.

“I need it!” he stressed. (submitted by K.J.)

suggested

(verb) to mention or introduce (an idea, proposition, plan, etc.) for consideration or possible action.

“You should consider purchasing a Corvette instead the Camaro,” suggested the car salesman.

urged

(verb) to make entreaties or earnest recommendations.

“Go, GO!” Gatlin urged, pushing her sister out the door. (submitted by Katherine K.)

 

Words associated with PROVOCATION   imp emoji

bragged

(verb) to use boastful language; boast

“I’m so good at this game that there is no one who can beat my score,” bragged James as he walked out of the arcade.

dared

(verb) to challenge or provoke a person into a demonstration of courage; defy.

“Go ahead and punch me, you coward!” Jason dared his older brother.

gibed

(verb) to utter mocking or scoffing words; jeer.

“Still afraid of the dark, aren’t you!” gibed Tom at Sam’s cowardice.

goaded

(verb) to cause someone to do something by being annoying.

“Come on you ninny, hit me in the face,” goaded Stan as he glared angrily at Phil.

insulted

(verb) to treat or speak to insolently or with contemptuous rudeness; affront.

“Betty isn’t just plain, she’s ugly, and I don’t like her,”insulted Samantha.

jeered

(verb) to speak or shout derisively; scoff or gibe rudely.

“You’re the worst actor I’ve ever seen!” jeered Thomas. “Get off the stage now!”

lied

(verb) to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.

“Of course I turned in my homework,” Jim lied. (submitted by Owen M.)

mimicked

(verb) to imitate or copy in action, speech, etc., often playfully or derisively.

“Mom, Billy’s touching me,” mimicked Billy, as he perfectly copied his sisters voice.

nagged

(verb) to annoy by persistent faultfinding, complaints, or demands.

“For the umpteenth time, take out the garbage! How many times do I have to tell you?” nagged Ken’s wife.

provoked

(verb) to anger, enrage, exasperate, or vex.

“You couldn’t lift a one pound weight with those scrawny arms,” provoked Jim as he watched Dale struggle at the weight machine.

quipped

(verb) to utter quips (a sharp, sarcastic remark; a cutting jest).

“Do I think Jason is smart? I’ve met rocks that are smarter than him,” quipped Alfred.

ribbed

(verb) to poke fun at, or to tease.

“Who’s that, your boyfriend?” Rowan ribbed, jabbing Tom in the side with her elbow as he shoved her away and fought a smile. (submitted by AJ)

ridiculed

(verb) to deride; make fun of.

“You throw like a girl,” ridiculed Nelson after he watched Thomas throw a baseball.

sassed

(verb) rude or disrespectful back talk.

“I don’t care what you want me to do. I am not going to eat my beets!” sassed Sally at the dinner table.

smirked

(verb) to smile in an affected, smug, or offensively familiar way.

“I got you good that time,” smirked Ivan.

snickered

(verb) to laugh in a half-suppressed, indecorous or disrespectful manner.

“Sorry, Barry, but they didn’t pick you for the football team,” snickered Shawn. “They picked me instead of you.”

taunted

(verb) to reproach in a sarcastic, insulting, or jeering manner; mock.

“You couldn’t win a game of tennis if you’re life depended on it!” taunted Gary from the sideline.

tempted

(verb) to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.

“Go on Alex, steal that pack of cigarettes,” tempted Thomas. “No one will ever know.”

 

Words associated with PURPOSE or intention   double exclamation emoji

affirmed

(verb) to express agreement with or commitment to; uphold; support.

“You were right. The first space shuttle was launched in 1981,” Randy affirmed.

attested

(verb) to affirm to be true or genuine.

“He’s guilty. I saw him stabbing the knife in her back,” I attested to the charges against the man in handcuffs. (submitted by Candice R.)

blustered

(verb) to utter with noisy self-assertiveness.

“I don’t care about your opinion!” Carl blustered as the realization set in that he had lost the argument.

decided

(verb) to determine or settle (something in dispute or doubt).

“I think I’ll take a chocolate ice cream cone,” Larry decided as he looked at all the flavors.

declared

(verb) to make known or state clearly, especially in explicit or formal terms.

“I love bunnies,” Mila declared. (submitted by Lena (Sprinkles) W.)

defended

(verb) to support in the face of criticism.

“He didn’t mean to,” defended Michael quickly. (submitted by Alexa C.)

insisted

(verb) to demand strongly; to state firmly.

“But I saw it happen with my own eyes!” Clara insisted, her face becoming colored. (submitted by Elizabeth P.)

maintained

(verb) to affirm; assert; declare.

“We must never trade our Constitution for communism,” maintained the senator as he addressed the assembly.

vowed

(verb) to promise solemnly.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Tessa vowed. (submitted by Reagan H.)

 

Words associated with QUESTIONS or curiosity   thinking emoji

asked

(verb) to put a question to; inquire of.

“What is the capitol of Vermont?” asked Wilbur.

challenged

(verb) to take exception to; call in question.

“Why are you always blaming me?” challenged Andy.

“Billy! What are you doing in my room?” Lisa challenged.

coaxed

(verb) to attempt to influence by gentle persuasion, flattery, etc.; cajole:

“You do want to grow up to be big boy don’t you?” coaxed the toddler’s mother as she tried to feed him some beets.

hinted

(verb) to make indirect suggestion or allusion; subtly imply.

“You do think I look pretty in this dress don’t you?” hinted Amy as she winked mischievously at Bill.

inquired

(verb) to seek information by questioning; ask:

“Can you tell me what the capital of Mississippi is?” inquired Leland.

pleaded (pled)

(verb) to appeal or entreat earnestly:

“Won’t you please stay for dinner?” pleaded Catherine as Nathan headed for the door.

puzzled

(verb) unable to understand; perplexed or confused.

“Am I the only one who doesn’t understand that math formula?” puzzled Dan as he raised his hand to ask the teacher a question.

“Why did you cheat on your math test?” asked my mom as she passed her hand over her face and looked puzzled. (submitted by Cindy P.)

queried

(verb) to ask or inquiry about.

“Are you sure that will work?” queried Jeff.

questioned

(verb) to ask or inquiry about.

“Are you sure want me to turn left at the stop light?” questioned Mary.

quizzed

(verb) to question closely.

“What are you talking about?” quizzed Alan.

“What exactly was Humpty Dumpty?” quizzed the teacher after she had read aloud the nursery rhyme.

wondered

(verb) to think or speculate curiously.

“Did he mean to imply that I broke the window?” wondered Alex.

“How many times have I written that?” Stan wondered to himself.

 

Words associated with UNCERTAINTY or confusion   confused emoji

cautioned

(verb) To give warning to; advise or urge to take heed.

“Don’t go in there!” cautioned Bob, “It’s not safe.”

doubted

(verb) to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe.

“I know where I am going,” said Tom as he steered the car onto the dark street. “I don’t think you do,” Lisa doubted as she nervously looked out the window.

faltered

(verb) speak hesitatingly or brokenly.

“After the battle at Lexington, the next major event of the Revolutionary War was the, um … was the …” Debbie faltered as she became unsure which battle happened next.

guessed

(verb) to form an estimate or conjecture.

“The capitol of West Virginia is … Fargo?” guessed Sean.

“So you guys all come from rich families, right?” Noah guessed. (submitted by Madeline G.)

hesitated

(verb) to be reluctant or wait to act because of fear, indecision, or disinclination.

“The capitol of West Virginia is,” Tom hesitated, “Charleston.”

vacillated

(verb) to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.

“I don’t like Bill. I mean I do, but I don’t,” Alan vacillated.

 

Words associated with Speech Mannerisms   bullhorn emoji

barked

(verb) to speak or cry out sharply or gruffly.

“Sit down and eat your supper!” barked Tom’s father.

bellowed

(verb) to utter in a loud deep voice.

“Everyone get down and give me 20 pushups!” bellowed the gym teacher as he angrily walked around the students.

boomed

(verb) to cause to resound.

“Be quiet!” boomed the teacher as he tried to regain control of his classroom.

croaked

(verb) to speak with a low, rasping voice.

“Don’t leave me here alone,” he tried to cry out, but it only came out as a croak.

deadpanned

(verb) to speak without expression or tone; to speak sarcastically.

“Oh, yeah, sure, just dump your money into the river,” Babette deadpanned, rolling her eyes. (submitted by Jackie L.)

drawled

(verb) to say or speak in a slow manner, usually prolonging the vowels.

“Hey ya’ll, welcome to my party,” Clare drawled in her thick southern accent.

enunciated

(verb) to utter or pronounce (words, sentences, etc.), especially in an articulate or a particular manner.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” enunciated George, as he clearly pronounced each sylable in each word.

groaned

(verb) to utter a deep, mournful sound expressive of pain or grief.

“I know that Mom said there were no monsters under my bed, but I can still hear them,” groaned Tommy as he pulled the sheets up over his head.

heaved

(verb) to utter laboriously or painfully.

Breathing hard, Jacob stopped running, leaned over and planted his hands on his knees. “I can’t believe I just won that race,” he heaved.

hissed

(verb) to make a sharp sibilant sound: to express disapproval.

“I said to leave me alone,” he hissed.

hollered

(verb) to cry aloud; shout or yell.

“Hey, stop that thief! He just stole my purse!” Anne hollered.

howled

(verb) to utter a similar cry in distress, pain, rage, etc.; wail.

“Ow!” howled Tom. “When I catch you I am going to beat you silly!” Tom rubbed the back of his neck where his little brother’s pea shooter had hit him, and ran off after him.

intoned

(verb) to utter with a particular tone or voice modulation, such as singing or chanting.

“Don’t be concerned,” Lilith gently intoned, “I never meant to insult you.”

lisped

(verb) to pronounce the sibilants s and z imperfectly especially by turning them into th and t͟h

“Buonoths nocheths,” lisped out Bernardo, as he bowed slightly at the waist.

monotoned

(verb) a vocal utterance or series of speech sounds in one unvaried tone.

“The Roman empire didn’t simply emerge and rise up over night. It developed out of a collapsing republic and economic turmoil resulting in a series of civil wars,” monotoned the professor as his students struggled to stay awake.

mumbled

(verb) to speak in a low indistinct manner, almost to an unintelligible extent; mutter.

“Did you just eat the piece of cake that I told you not to eat?” asked Peter’s mother. “Yes,” mumbled Peter as he sheepishly looked down at the frosting on his fingers.

piped

(verb) to speak in a high-pitched or piercing tone.

“I’m over here!” piped Shirley, as she waved her arms, frantically trying to get her boyfriend’s attention.

pronounced

(verb) to enunciate or articulate (sounds, words, sentences, etc.).

“My name is Sur-sha,” pronounced Saoirse.

rattled on

(phrasal verb) to talk rapidly; chatter.

“I like pie, cheese, cake, pizza…” Bob rattled on. (submitted by Emma L.)

roared

(verb) to utter a loud, deep cry or howl, as in excitement, distress, or anger.

“What do you mean, you wrecked my car!” Paul roared.

screamed

(verb) to speak with intense or hysterical emotion.

“I don’t ever want to see you again!” screamed Holly at her now ex-boyfriend.

screeched

(verb) to utter or make a harsh, shrill cry or sound.

“Hey! Watch where you’re driving!” screeched Liz at the car that raced past her while she walked through the parking lot.

shouted

(verb) to utter in a loud voice.

“Alvin! It’s time to come in and wash up for dinner!” shouted Mary from the back door.

shrilled

(verb) to cry shrilly (high-pitched and piercing in sound quality).

“You did what?” shrilled Mark’s mother.

sibilated

(verb) to pronounce or utter (words or speech) with a hissing sound.

“Shhh!” the librarian sibilated.

slurred

(verb) to read, speak, or sing hurriedly and carelessly.

Abigail walked to the front of the class to give her oral book report. She became nervous as she noticed that everyone was looking at her. Hands shaking in fear, she looked down at her report and started to speak. “My book report is on The House of Seven Gables, by Nathaniel Hawthorne,” Abigail slurred.

sneezed

(verb) to emit air or breath suddenly, forcibly, and audibly through the nose and mouth by involuntary, spasmodic action.

“I thought you knew I was allergic to daisies.” David scrunched up his face and sneezed. “Please take them out of the room, I can hardly breath.”

stammered

(verb) to speak with involuntary breaks and pauses, or with spasmodic repetitions of syllables or sounds.

“Oh my goodness! There’s a a a g g g ghost standing in the the the hallway!” stammered Clyde as he pointed at the eerie figure.

stuttered

(verb) to speak in such a way that the rhythm is interrupted by repetitions, blocks or spasms, or prolongations of sounds or syllables, sometimes accompanied by contortions of the face and body.

“I d d don’t want to go down th th there. I’m a a a afraid of th th the dark,” stuttered Sam as he stood at the top of the stairs looking down into the dark basement.

thundered

(verb) to utter loud or vehement denunciations, threats, or the like.

“What are you doing out of your room!” Phillip’s dad thundered.

trilled

(verb) to utter as or with or as if with a trill (the rapid vibration of one speech organ against another (as of the tip of the tongue against the teethridge)).

“I will now roll my R’s like this, rrrrrrrrr,” trilled the Spanish teacher.

wheezed

(verb) to make a sound resembling difficult breathing.

“May I sit down here?” wheezed John as he plopped heavily into the chair.

whispered

(verb) to speak softly with little or no vibration of the vocal cords especially to avoid being overheard.

“I don’t like him,” whispered Bob. (submitted by Julie D.)

yelled

(verb) to cry out or speak with a strong, loud, clear sound; shout.

“Get out of here!” he yelled. “The house is on fire!” (submitted by Amelia W.)

The words below are classified by emotions

The emotion of ANGER   anger emoji

accused 

(verb) to charge with a fault, offense, or crime.

“Professor Plum murdered Colonel Mustard!” accused Miss Peacock, as she pointed her finger at Professor Plum.

argued

(verb) to contend in oral disagreement; dispute.

“I do to know what I am talking about!” Wayne argued as he defiantly crossed his arms across his chest.

badgered

(verb) to harass or urge persistently; pester; nag.

“Why are you not responding?” She badgered, poking him in the ribs. (submitted by Rhianna H.)

bickered

(verb) to engage in petulant or peevish argument.

“Well, you didn’t say that we had to do page four!” Camile bickered. (submitted by Elsa N.)

caterwauled

(verb) to protest or complain noisily.

“I don’t want to do it your way,” caterwauled Karl, “I want to do it my way!”

chastised

(verb) to scold, rebuke, or reprimand.

“You should never talk back to your mother,” Lucy chastised, pulling Tony away by his ear. (submitted by Jackie L.)

chided

(verb) to express disapproval of; scold; reproach.

“It’s not your hair that needs to be brushed, it’s your teeth that need it,” chided Mary as she watched her husband in the mirror.

commanded

(verb) to direct with specific authority or prerogative; order.

“Go to your room now!” Ralph’s dad commanded.

complained

(verb) to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault.

“Why do I always have to do the dishes? It’s not fair,” Taylor complained.

condemned

(verb) to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on; indicate strong disapproval of; censure. (also) To pronounce to be guilty; sentence to punishment.

“This man is guilty of treason, send him to the dungeon!” condemned the King.

cursed

(verb) to wish or invoke evil, calamity, injury, or destruction upon.

“I hate you and I hope you never get another girlfriend ever!” cursed Jane as she stormed away from her ex-boyfriend.

demanded

(verb) to ask for with proper authority; claim as a right.

“You had better explain yourself, young man!” demanded Phil’s mother as she observed the clothing strewn about his bedroom.

denounced

(verb) to condemn or censure openly or publicly.

“This man is a liar, a thief, and a scoundrel!” the lawyer denounced as he pointed at the man in the witness stand.

exploded

(verb) to burst forth violently or emotionally, especially with noise, laughter, or violent speech.

“You told me this report was finished last Friday!” exploded Bob. “You haven’t even started on it!”

fumed

(verb) to show fretful irritation or anger.

“What do you mean that you’re going to be late again?” fumed Melissa.

growled

(verb) to murmur or complain angrily; grumble.

“How dare you?!” Alfred growled. (submitted by Reina M.)

interrupted

(verb) to stop (a person) in the midst of doing or saying something, especially by an interjected remark.

“Just stop what you’re saying right now!” the teacher interrupted. “This is the third time this week you’ve forgotten your homework!”

ordered

(verb) to direct or command to go or come as specified.

“Go to your room right now!” ordered Frank’s dad.

raged

(verb) to act or speak with fury; show or feel violent anger; fulminate.

“Put down my cup!” raged David’s dad as he attempted to steal the last of the delicious juice. (submitted by Maddy & David)

ranted

(verb) to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner.

“You had better not talk to me Peter Davidson. And that goes for you to Bob, and Steve, and Carl,” ranted Jillian.

retaliated

(verb) to return like for like, especially evil for evil.

“You are an insignificant fool!” she retaliated. (submitted by Arden G.)

retorted

(verb) to answer back, usually sharply.

“What a fine chemistry lab partner you are!” Gus retorted, but the tone of his voice made it obvious that he did not mean it.

scoffed

(verb) to speak derisively; mock; jeer.

“Is that the best you can do? I thought I taught you better than that!” scoffed Pete as his younger brother sung the bat and missed the ball.

scolded

(verb) to find fault with angrily; chide; reprimand.

“Your homework is late again. You know that you are supposed to turn it in on time,” scolded Ralph’s teacher.

scowled

(verb) to have a gloomy or threatening look.

“I’m really mad at Marissa right now. She insulted me just to be popular.” scowled Gloria, even though Marissa was her best friend. (submitted by Nora D.)

seethed

(verb) to be in a state of agitation or excitement.

“You’d never understand how you truly anger me!” Jax seethed in white hot anger. (submitted by Brianna L.)

shot

(verb) to send forth (words, ideas, etc.) rapidly.

“Jason is such a nerd!” shot Wilson as he and his friend hurried past the computer lab so that no one would realize who made the comment.

snapped

(verb) to utter a quick, sharp sentence or speech, especially a command, reproof, retort, etc.

“Get back here right now, young man!” snapped Bill’s dad.

snarled

(verb) to speak in a surly or threatening manner suggestive of a dog’s snarl.

“You’ll pay for this!” snarled the old man as he watched the kids running down the street, away from his broken window.

sneered

(verb) to speak or write in a manner expressive of ridicule, contempt, or scorn.

“You think you’re so smart, getting accepted into Harvard. But you’re not! You’re not,” sneered Larry.

stormed

(verb) to rage or complain with violence or fury.

“You said I was your best friend, not Jill. I hate you! I hate you!” stormed Leah.

swore

(verb) to affirm, assert, or say with solemn earnestness.

“Mark my words; I will get even with you!” swore Lonnie.

threatened

(verb) to indicate impending evil or mischief.

“If you tell mom or dad that I stole this radio, you’ll be sorry!” threatened Joe.

warned

(verb) to admonish or exhort, as to action or conduct.

“Be on time tomorrow, or you’re fired!” warned her boss.

The emotion of DISGUST   disgust emoji

cringed

(verb) to recoil in distaste.

“Ew, I hate tuna,” Riley cringed. (submitted by Cameron B.)

gagged

(verb) to make qips (a clever usually taunting remark).

“I think the baby need a new diaper,” gagged Tom as he walked into the room.

groused

(verb) to grumble; complain.

“I hate it when mom cooks beets for supper,” Steve groused as he walked through the kitchen.

griped

(verb) to complain with grumbling

“I really hate having to do all this homework,” Harold griped.

grunted

(verb) to grumble, as in discontent.

“I really hate that teacher!” grunted Randy as he left the classroom on his way to the Principal’s office.

mocked

(verb) to treat with ridicule or contempt.

“Sure you do,” he mocked, rolling his eyes. “You know everything.” (submitted by Tara N.)

rasped

(verb) to utter with a grating sound.

“You make me sick to my stomach,” rasped Avery as he turned and walked away.

refused

(verb) to decline to accept (something offered).

“There’s no way I’d ever go out on a date with you,” refused Odette as she turned and walked haughtily away from Andy.

sniffed

(verb) to show disdain, contempt.

“I never really liked you anyway!” sniffed Regina.

snorted

(verb) to express scorn, anger, indignation, or surprise by a snort.

“As if I’d ever believe anything that you’d have to say,” snorted Bill.

The emotion of EMBARRASSMENT   flushed face emoji

admitted

(verb) to acknowledge; confess.

“She … she is so gorgeous! Everything about her makes me swoon!” Trenton admitted. (submitted by Brianna L.)

confessed

(verb) to own or admit as true.

“Please don’t tell any spooky stories. I’m afraid of the dark,” confessed Randy as he nervously looked around at the shadows being cast by the campfire.

spilled

(verb) to divulge, disclose, or tell.

“I did it, it’s true. I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but now that you know, I’ll tell you everything,” he spilled.

spluttered

(verb) to talk rapidly and somewhat incoherently, as when confused, excited, or embarrassed.

“No. No, no, no. No. I wasn’t getting another drink…” he spluttered and bit his lip. Looking down he saw the drink in his hand and blushed.

 

The emotion of FEAR   fear emoji

denied

(verb) to state that (something declared or believed to be true) is not true.

“I am not afraid of the dark,” Randy denied.

fretted

(verb) to become vexed (distressed) or worried.

“I know that I studied for this exam, but I’m not sure I’m ready,” fretted Shirley as she watched the teacher place the exam on her desk.

moaned

(verb) to utter (something) inarticulately or pitifully, as if in lamentation.

“I failed another test. What am I going to tell my parents?” moaned Christopher.

panted

(verb) to breathe hard and quickly, as after exertion.

“Nick, wait! Wait up!” Shelby panted, running towards him. (submitted by Wenny W.)

prayed

(verb) to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to (God or an object of worship).

“Please, God, don’t let me fail this exam,” prayed Heather.

quavered

(verb) to sound, speak, or sing tremulously. (Tremulous is defined as: characterized by or affected with trembling or tremors.)

“Mom, the monsters are still under my bed,” quavered Tommy.

shivered

(verb) to shake or tremble with cold, fear, excitement, etc.

“H-how’d you get into m-my house?…” Alysa shivered as a man crept closer. (submitted by Alex)

shrieked

(verb) to cry out sharply in a high voice.

“I just saw a ghost!” shrieked Linda.

shuddered

(verb) tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or revulsion.

“I’m terrified of the dark,” Alex shuddered. (submitted by Claire E.)

squeaked

(verb) to utter or make a short shrill cry or noise.

“What was that noise?” squeaked Faye as she glanced nervously around the dark room.

squealed

(verb) to make a long, high-pitched cry or noise.

“There’s a cockroach in the sink!” squealed Debbie as she ran out of the kitchen.

whimpered

(verb) to cry with low, plaintive, broken sounds.
(noun) a low, feeble sound expressive of fear or pain.

“You really hurt my feelings,” Courtney whimpered. (submitted by Alyson M.)

“I’m not doing that! It’s too scary!” Donnie Whimpered. (submitted by Jaqcueline N.)

whined

(verb) to snivel or complain in a peevish, self-pitying way.

“There’s no way you can just leave and forget about me,” Terry whined in anguish. (submitted by Brianna L.)

worried

(verb) to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

“What if she doesn’t like me, or thinks that I’m boring? What will I do if I say the say the wrong thing?” worried Jay as he prepared for his first date with Brenda.

 

The emotion of FRUSTRATION   frustrate emoji

exasperated

(verb) to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely.

“This is the last time I help you,” exasperated Maddison as she sighed heavily. (submitted by Maddy & David)

grumbled

(verb) to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly.

“My boyfriend hasn’t texted me in two days,” grumbled Julie.

huffed

(verb) to utter with indignation or scorn.

“You made a fine mess of this situation,” Rodney huffed.

protested

(verb) to declare (something) firmly and emphatically in the face of stated or implied doubt or in response to an accusation.

“I was not telling a lie!” Lilly protested.

whinged

(verb) to complain fretfully; whine.

“It should have been my turn to go down the slide,” Molly whinged.

The emotion of HAPPINESS   happiness emoji

approved

(verb) to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good; judge favorably.

“Oh my goodness Cindy, I love your new haircut!” approved Emily.

beamed

(verb) to smile radiantly or happily.

“Look everybody, Dad got me a puppy!” beamed Chrissy.

bubbled

(verb) to speak, move, issue forth, or exist in a lively, sparkling manner; exude cheer.

“We’re going to Disneyland! We’re going to Disneyland!” bubbled Danny as he excitedly ran around the room.

burst

(verb) to give sudden expression to or as if to emotion.

“I love you Aiden!” burst Emma. (submitted by Emma L.)

cackled

(verb) to laugh in a shrill, broken manner.

“You’ll never escape!” she cackled. (submitted by Rhianna H.)

cheered

(verb) a shout of encouragement, approval, congratulation, etc.

“Way to go Wayne!” cheered Lily as she watched her boyfriend cross the finish line first.

chirped

(verb) to say something in a lively and cheerful way.

“Come sit down,” she chirped, as she scooted over, leaving me a seat. (submitted by Tatum P.)

chorused

(verb) simultaneous utterance in singing, speaking, shouting, etc.

“We won!” chorused Bill with the rest of the crowd at the conclusion of the basketball game.

complimented

(verb) an expression of praise, commendation, or admiration.

“You look nice today,” complimented Ben. (submitted by Nathaniel F.)

congratulated

(verb) to express pleasure to (a person), as on a happy occasion.

“Here’s to our good friend, Randolph, who finally got engaged to Elizabeth,” congratulated Ben.

crowed

(verb) to gloat, boast, or exult.

“Woo-hoo! I made the team!” crowed Karl as he watched the coach post the roster.

exulted

(verb) to show or feel a lively or triumphant joy; rejoice exceedingly; be highly elated or jubilant.

“Yes!” he exulted, pumping his fist in the air in delight. (submitted by Chris G.)

grinned

(verb) to smile broadly, especially as an indication of pleasure, amusement, or the like.

“My softball team, the Batgirls, won the game against the Sharks!” grinned Sabrina, in spite of the fact that a member of the Sharks was glaring at her. (submitted by Nora D.)

gurgled

(verb) to utter low throaty bubbling noises, esp as a sign of contentment.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Kathy gurgled with laughter as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

gushed

(verb) to express oneself extravagantly or emotionally; talk effusively.

“I am so proud of my son. He not only made straight A’s, but he’s also on the football team,” gushed Alice as she talked with her neighbor.

hummed

(verb) an inarticulate sound uttered in contemplation, hesitation, dissatisfaction, doubt, etc.

“Shall we leave?” she hummed, grabbing his hand. (submitted by Rhianna H.)

praised

(verb) to express approval or admiration of; commend; extol.

“You ran an excellent race,” praised Samantha’s track coach.

resounded

(verb) to proclaim loudly (praise, disapproval, etc.).

“Long live the king,” the crowd resounded as the royal carriage rolled down the road.

sang

(verb) to proclaim enthusiastically.

“I got an A on my test! I got an A on my test!” sang Rosalynn as she danced down the hallway toward her locker.

simpered

(verb) to smile in a silly, self-conscious way.

“I really like Troy,” she said a little bit too loudly. Then she noticed him looking at her, and simpered.

smiled

(verb) to assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement, characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth.

“I am so proud of you,” smiled Joe’s mother.

squealed

(verb) to make a shrill cry or noise.

“I can’t believe we got front row seats!” Ella squealed, jumping up and down. (submitted by Eliza G.)

thanked

(verb) to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much I like your gift,” thanked Alan as he unwrapped the present.

whooped

(verb) to utter a loud cry or shout in expressing enthusiasm, excitement, etc.

“We won! We won!” Peter whooped.

The emotion of LOVE or ROMANCE   happiness emoji

blushed

(verb) to become red in the face especially from shame, modesty, or confusion.

“Are you … asking me on a date?” Minnie blushed, as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. (submitted by Nora V)

breathed

(verb) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.

“These flowers are so beautiful,” she breathed as she held them close to her chest.

cooed

(verb) to murmur or talk fondly or amorously.

“I’m so glad you asked me to watch this romantic movie with you,” cooed Lila as she snuggled up against Jason.

expressed

(verb) to show, manifest, or reveal.

“I love you more than my words can convey,” expressed Liz as she looked dreamily into Hank’s eyes.

flattered

(verb) to play upon or gratify the vanity of (a person)

“I swear that you’re the prettiest girl in this school,” flattered Greg as he passed by Valerie in the hallway.

flirted

(verb) to behave as if in love without serious intent.

Penelope flipped her long blonde curls and gave a full toothed smile. “Hi Jason,” she flirted shamelessly.

proclaimed

(verb) to announce or declare in an official or formal manner.

“I love you Joshua Jones,” proclaimed Emily for all to hear.

professed

(verb) to declare or admit openly or freely

“Alicia is the love of my life,” Kendall professed.

promised

(verb) to state to someone that you will certainly do something.

“I will love you forever, Kate,” promised Alexander.

purred

(verb) to utter a low, continuous, murmuring sound expressive of contentment or pleasure.

“I just love being with you,” Lisa purred, as she snuggled up close to her boyfriend.

swooned

(verb) to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy.

“John is just so… so…,” Sally swooned. (submitted by Avalon)

 

The emotion of REGRET   zipper face emoji

apologized

(verb) to offer an apology or excuse for some fault, insult, failure, or injury.

“I’m really sorry Dad; I didn’t mean to break the window.” apologized Andy as he looked down at the baseball bat in his hands.

aside

(verb) words spoken so as not to be heard by others present.

“I really hope I don’t bomb this test,” Gabby muttered aside. (submitted by Autumn L.)

forgave

(verb) to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.

“It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean to. Let’s be friends again,” Kate forgave. (submitted by Katherine K.)

gulped

(verb) to suppress, subdue, or choke back as if by swallowing.

“Oh no!” gulped Ralph. “I think the teacher just caught me cheating on the exam.”

mumbled

(verb) to speak in a low indistinct manner, almost to an unintelligible extent; mutter.

“I’m sorry I hit you,” mumbled Jake to his sister when his mother forced him to apologize.

murmured

(verb) to speak in a low tone or indistinctly.

“I really wish I had bought the mirrored aviator sunglasses instead of the retro style,” murmured Ted.

muttered

(verb) to utter indistinctly or in a low tone.

“Just because mom likes you best doesn’t mean that anyone else likes you!” muttered Gina softly enough that her sister couldn’t hear.

sighed

(verb) to yearn or long; pine.

“I sure wish Dad was here,” sighed Valerie as she looked at the steam pouring out from under the car’s hood.

wished

(verb) to want; desire; long for.

“I want cake,” Wade wished. (submitted by Emma L.)

 

The emotion of SADNESS   sadness emoji

bawled

(verb) to cry out loudly and unrestrainedly.

“I can’t believe we lost the game,” bawled Paul as he held his head in his hands while the crowd left the bleachers.

bewailed

(verb) to express deep sorrow for; lament.

“I can’t believe my cat died!” bewailed Cindy, who promptly burst into tears.

blubbered

(verb) an act of weeping noisily and without restraint.

With little prompting, she spilled the whole glorious story in its entirety. Exhausted and tearful, she blubbered, “It’s all my fault.” (submitted by Holly T.)

“He dumped me!” Alyssa blubbered. (submitted by Alyson M.)

comforted

(verb) to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to.

“It’s okay Paul. Our team will win their next game,” comforted Jill as she gently patted Paul on the back.

consoled

(verb) to alleviate or lessen the grief, sorrow, or disappointment of; give solace or comfort.

“I know you failed the test, but don’t worry, you’ll pass the next one,” consoled Bill’s mother.

cried

(verb) to utter inarticulate sounds, especially of lamentation, grief, or suffering, usually with tears.

“I can’t believe that Kathy had to move to another town. I’m going to miss her so much,” cried Wendy as she vainly tried to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks.

lamented

(verb) an expression of grief or sorrow.

“Have you seen my kitten? I left the door open and my kiiten got out, and now I can’t find her.” lamented Krista as she looked up and down the street.

sniffled

(verb) to sniff repeatedly, as from a head cold or in repressing tears.

“I still love you,” Sandy sniffled, “even though you don’t love me anymore.”

snivelled

(verb) to speak or act in a whining, sniffling, tearful, or weakly emotional manner.

“I really wanted to go to the park today,” Kylie snivelled as she looked out the window at the rain.

sobbed

(verb) to weep with a convulsive catching of the breath.

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “It was my job to protect you and now you’re dead.” (submitted by McKenna Y.)

wailed

(verb) to express deep sorrow for; mourn; lament.

“Why did he leave me? We used to have such a good relationship,” wailed Kayla.

wept

(verb) to express grief, sorrow, or any overpowering emotion by shedding tears; shed tears; cry.

“He never even said goodbye; he’s just like a ghost,” Jessy wept softly, broken hearted over the loss of her husband. (submitted by Brianna L.)

 

The emotion of SURPRISE   surprise emoji

bleated

(verb) to talk complainingly or with a whine.

“But yesterday you said I could go,” she bleated.

blurted

(verb) to utter suddenly or inadvertently; divulge impulsively or unadvisedly.

“It’s true, I ate all the cookies,” blurted Johnnie when his mother gave him a stern look.

exclaimed

(verb) to cry out or speak suddenly and vehemently, as in surprise, strong emotion, or protest.

“I made the team!” Lizzy exclaimed. (submitted by Helenaluciana M)

gasped

(verb) a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise.

“It’s gone!” Jake gasped. “My wallet was in my pocket a minute ago, but now it’s gone!”

marveled (U.S.) marvelled (U.K.)

(verb) to show or experience great surprise or admiration.

“You saved my life,” marveled Amy. (submitted by Alison S.)

perplexed

(verb) to be confused or uncertain over something that is not understood.

“I don’t understand,” she said perplexed. (submitted by Elvey T.)

sputtered

(verb) to utter hastily or explosively in confusion or excitement.

“What what what do you mean I failed the exam?” sputtered Wendy. “I thought I aced it.”

yelped

(verb) to call or cry out sharply.

“Ouch!” Tony yelped. “That really hurt!”

 

Words associated with TIREDNESS   sleeping emoji

groggily

(adverb) dazed and weakened, as from lack of sleep.

“It can’t be time to get up already,” Janice said groggily as her mother attempted to wake her.

lethargically

(adjective) of, relating to, or affected with lethargy; drowsy; sluggish; apathetic.

“What?” Paul asked lethargically as he suddenly realized that the teacher was calling out his name.

listlessly

(adverb) characterized by lack of interest, energy, or spirit.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to that right away,” Ralph remarked listlessly after his mother asked him to take out the garbage.

sleepily

(adverb) ready to fall asleep.

“Okay, I’ll get to that next,” Howard responded sleepily from his chair as his eyes closed and his head drooped down to his chest.

sluggishly

(adjective) slow to respond.

“Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Jasmine responded sluggishly. (submitted by Jax O.)

somnolently

(adverb) sleepy, drowsy.

“I don’t think I can keep driving and stay awake,” Adam somnolently exclaimed after he let out a huge yawn.

wearily

(adjective) physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; fatigued; tired.

“I don’t think I can take another step,” Sam responded wearily as he plopped down onto a nearby log.

yawned

(verb) to open the mouth somewhat involuntarily with a prolonged, deep inhalation and sighing or heavy exhalation, as from drowsiness or boredom.

“I’m not tired at all,” yawned John. (submitted by Logan S.)

 

Words not associated with any particular emotionperson shrugging emoji

acquiesced

(verb) to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent:

“Okay, okay, I agree with you,” Sam acquiesced.

added

(verb) to say or write further.

“Not only that, but Jill is very smart too,” Joe added.

addressed

(verb) to greet by a prescribed form.

The reporter bypassed everyone else at the table and focused on the man sitting at the head. “Excuse me Mr. Mayor, I’d like to ask you a question, if I may,” he politely addressed the man.

agreed

(verb) to have the same views, emotions, etc.; harmonize in opinion or feeling.

“Yes, that is a good idea, we should go to the movies tonight,” Joyce agreed.

alliterated

(verb) the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter.

“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” Mavis alliterated.

announced

(verb) to state; declare.

“Guess what dear, I’m pregnant!” announced Tim’s wife.

began

(verb) to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.

“Well,” began Clarence, “It all started when I got out of bed this morning.”

bet

(verb) to make a wager.

“I can get an «A» on that test without even studying!” bet Thomas.

boasted

(verb) to be excessively proud, to brag, or be vain.

“Winning the kickball tournament was as easy as pie,” Sean boasted. (submitted by Kayla F.)

called

(verb) to cry out in a loud voice; shout.

“Good to see you again!” called the shop owner from across the room. (submitted by Rebecca W.)

chimed in

(verb) to break suddenly and unwelcomely into a conversation, as to express agreement or voice an opinion.

“You guys should know that I’m the best in my class at math,” Gary chimed in.

coached

(verb) to give instruction or advice.

“Simon paused, not knowing what to say. “Tell them about your socks,” his dad coached. (submitted by Neil F.)

confided

(verb) to impart secrets trustfully; discuss private matters or problems.

“You can’t tell anyone this, but Bob just asked me to the Prom, and I said no,” Celeste confided to her best friend in a low voice so that none else could hear.

confirmed

(verb) to establish the truth, accuracy, validity, availability, etc.

“She has a concussion,” the nurse confirmed. (submitted by Alorie F.)

continued

(verb) to go on after suspension or interruption.

“As I was saying, before I was so rudely interupted, the reason that I am so good at playing basketball is my incredible speeed,” continued John.

contributed

(verb) to give something: i.e. time, information, suggetions, etc.

“I don’t know what to do!” Sue cried.
“Maybe you could talk to him?” Allen contributed. (submitted by Emilia R.)

conversed

(verb) to talk informally with another or others; exchange views, opinions, etc.,

“I didn’t know that your favorite color was red. Mine is yellow,” conversed Kyle as he waited at the bustop with Jennifer.

crooned

(verb) to sing or speak in a gentle murmuring manner.

“It’s alright, you’re okay,” Melanie crooned. (submitted by Jess D.)

demurred

(verb) to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object.

“Sure.” He jumped to his feet. “I’m sorry to have kept you.”
“No, no,” Anne demurred. (submitted by Jennie G.)

described

(verb) to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of:

“So, what did the man look like?” The police inquired, desperate for an answer.
“He had light, blonde curly hair and round, black glasses. He had a scar on his cheek, and his skin was really wrinkly.” Mary described. (submitted by Katherine K.)

dictated

(verb) 2 definitions

  1. to say or read (something) aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to record.
  2. to give orders.

  1. “Tuesday I have a meeting with Mr. Smith at 10 o’clock, followed by a metting at 11 with Mr. Jones,” dictated the lawyer into his voice recorder.
  2. “When I say jump, you jump!” dictated the drill sergeant.

disclosed

(verb) to make known; reveal or uncover.

“Tommy was trying to look at my answers,” Susan disclosed as she handed the teacher her test.

divulged

(verb) to disclose or reveal (something private, secret, or previously unknown).

“Samantha and I eloped last month and secretly got married. But we haven’t told her parents yet,” Richard divulged to best his friend.

echoed

(verb) to repeat or imitate the words, sentiments, etc., of (a person).

“Stop saying what I’m saying,” Stan echoed back at his sister for the third time.

emphasized

(verb) to give emphasis to; lay stress upon; stress.

“Of course I cheated on the test. Everyone does,” Frank emphasized.

ended

(verb) to come to an end; terminate; cease .

“Of course I did my homework. But it fell on the floor this morning and my dog ate it. Really, he did,” Robert ended feebly, as he wrung his hands and looked nervously at the teacher.

finished

(verb) to come to an end.

“I don’t know I even bother talking to you,” Evelyn finished, as she turned and walked away in a huff.

gloated

(verb) to feel or express great pleasure or satisfaction because of your own success or good luck, or someone else’s failure or bad luck.

“I just won my fourth one on one basketball game this week,” gloated Stanley as he swaggered toward the locker room.

greeted

(verb) to address with some form of salutation; welcome.

“Welcome to our home!” Mrs. Karns greeted fondly, gesturing the young lady to come inside. (submitted by Katherine K.)

imitated

(verb) to mimic; impersonate.

“Mom, Jim’s touching me!” Jim imitated as he gleefully watched his sister stick out her tongue at him.

imparted

(verb) to make known; tell; relate; disclose.

“Study for the exam this Friday, that’s the best advice I can give you,” imparted the history teacher as he dismissed the class.

implied

(verb) to indicate or suggest without being explicitly stated.

“Oh sure, sure, I believe you. You had to work late again,” she implied in a tone that clearly suggested that she did not believe him at all.

informed

(verb) to give or impart knowledge of a fact or circumstance.

“Put your pencils down. The exam is now over,” informed the teacher.

insinuated

(verb) suggest or hint (something bad or reprehensible) in an indirect and unpleasant way.

“I’m not sure that’s true. Max is capable of anything.) Julie insinuated about his involvement in the murder. (submitted by Courtney LK)

insisted

(verb) to demand strongly; to state firmly.

“But I saw it happen with my own eyes!” Clara insisted, her face becoming colored. (submitted by Elizabeth P.)

instructed

(verb) 3 definitions:

  1. direct or command someone to do something, especially as an official order.
  2. teach (someone) a subject or skill.
  3. inform (someone) of a fact or situation.

  1. “Get down and give me twenty pushups!” instructed the coach.
  2. “Widen your stance,” the football coach instructed the blocker.
  3. “If you study, you will pass the exam,” the teacher instructed the class.

lectured

(verb) to rebuke or reprimand at some length.

“All of you knew last week that I was giving the exam today. None of you have an excuse for not studying or being ready,” lectured the teacher.

mentioned

(verb) to refer briefly to; name, specify, or speak of.

“I did tell you about that yesterday,” mentioned Robert’s mother.

motioned

(verb) to direct by a motion (a proposal formally made to a deliberative assembly).

“I declare this meeting to be adjourned,” motioned the mayor.

mouthed

(verb) To form soundlessly, or with less noise than a whisper.

“She’s right behind you,” Jake mouthed.

mused

(verb) to comment thoughtfully or ruminate upon.

“I wonder what she meant by that?” mused Gerald as he watched Linda walk away.

nodded

(verb) to bend (the head) in a short, quick downward movement, as of assent or greeting.

“That’s right,” nodded Jack “there’s no school tomorrow due to parent teacher conferences.”

notified

(verb) to inform (someone) to give notice of.

“No one in this class passed the test,” notified the teacher with a very disappointed expression on her face.

observed

(verb) to see, watch, perceive, or notice.

“The value of gold is even higher today than it was four years ago,” observed the bank president.

offered

(verb) to propose or put forward for consideration.

“We could go to the park,” Aiden offered. (submitted by Harper L.)

opined

(verb) to hold or express an opinion.

“My brother is a genius,” he opined.

peeped

(verb) to speak in a thin, weak voice.

“My dear, would you please fetch my cane,” peeped the old man as he gestured toward the corner of the room.

peppered

(verb) To beset repeatedly, as with questions or requests.

“What’s going to happen? What is that? Do you use that?” Max peppered his Mom with questions. (submitted by Claire E.)

pestered

(verb) to bother persistently with petty annoyances; trouble.

“Come on Dad, I need you to take me to the mall. I really need go, can you take me today?” pestered Judy as she tried to pull her dad up and out of his chair.

pressed

(verb) to urge, pressure.

“Oh, please tell me where he is!” Alexander pressed, staring frantically up at his mother. (submitted by Jackie L.)

prompted

(verb) to supply forgotten lines, lyrics, or the like to an actor, singer, etc.

“If we are true to ourselves, we can not be false to anyone,” prompted the drama teacher when she saw the student portraying Hamlet falter.

put in

(verb) to say something that interrupts someone who is speaking.

“Why don’t we just ask them?” Jimmy suddenly put in as he listed to his brothers wonder what they should get their parents for Christmas.

quoted

(verb) to repeat words from (a book, author, etc.).

“Be sure to make your bed in the bed in the morning,” quoted Angela as she repeated her mother’s words.

read

(verb) to read something out loud.

“The sign says ‘do not trespass’ ” Gabriella read, squinting at the letters. (submitted by Jackie L.)

recalled

(verb) to bring back from memory; recollect; remember.

““The old Boeing 707 jet airliner was a very comfortable plane to fly in,” recalled the old man.

reckoned

(verb) to regard or think of as: consider.

“Centrifugal forces must be an important factor for race car drivers,” Phil reckoned.

recited

(verb) to say something from memory.

“Remember what mother said, Lily: ’Treat others as you wish to be treated,’” Ashley recited, crossing her arms. (submitted by Jackie L.)

recounted

(verb) to give an account of an event or experience.

“No, Mr. Johnson told us that the homework was due on Tuesday,” Sherri recounted, documenting the teachers previous instructions. (submitted by Hannah L.)

related

(verb) to tell; give an account of (an event, circumstance, etc.).

“In the middle of the movie, my boyfriend kissed me,” Jillian related, as her friends waited breathlessly for more details.

remembered

(verb) to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; think of again.

“Oh my goodness, I have an appointment with the doctor today!” Quinton remembered.

reminded

(verb) to cause (a person) to remember; cause (a person) to think of someone or something.

“Don’t forget to study for your math test over the weekend!” Mr. McAndrew reminded. (submitted by Katherine K.)

repeated

(verb) to say or utter again (something already said).

“Take out the trash!” Jake’s mother repeated after she noticed the chore had still not been performed.

requested

(verb) to ask for, especially politely or formally.

“May I be excused from the table please?” requested Zachary after he had finished eating.

revealed

(verb) to make known; disclose; divulge.

“Johnny is cheating on his test,” revealed Chrissy as she placed her finished test on the teacher’s desk.

rhymed

(verb) to put into rhyme (identity in sound of some part, especially the end, of words or lines of verse).

“Once upon a morning dreary, I stayed in bed all tired and weary,” rhymed the old man.

spoke

(verb) a simple past tense of speak.

“Please keep your voices down, the baby is asleep,” spoke Maddy in hushed tone, after she gotten everyone’s attention.

started

(verb) to bring up for consideration or discussion.

“Well,” started Jill, “I think we should go to the park.” (submitted by Charlotte C.)

stumbled

(verb) to speak or act in a hesitant or faltering manner.

“Score four and seven . . .” stumbled Gary as he paused, closing his eyes in disbeleif that he just screwed up his line, and then started over, “Four score and seven years ago….”

sympathized

(verb) to be in sympathy or agreement of feeling; share in a feeling

“I know you didn’t mean to do it,” Caroline sympathized.

tartly

(verb) to be sharp in character, spirit, or expression; cutting; biting.

“I already saw that,” Delaney said tartly. (submitted by Claire E.)

teased

(verb) to irritate or provoke with persistent petty distractions, trifling raillery, or other annoyance.

“You can’t possibly run faster than me!” teased Jeff. (submitted by Aditya P.)

tested

(verb) to subject to a test of any kind.

“Are you sure that Annapolis is the capital of Maryland?” tested Billy’s teacher when she saw the look of doubt on his face.

thought outloud

(phrasal verb) to say one’s thoughts so that other people can hear them.

“To solve this algebra equation I’m going to need to figure out what the lowest common denominator is,” Loretta thought aloud, causing the students nearby to turn their heads and look at her.

told

(verb) simple past tense and past participle of tell.

“We talked all about Karen’s date last night.” Martha told her mother.

tried

(intranitive verb) to make an attempt or effort; strive.

“But-but, my dog, he…!” Lisa tried, but her teacher would’t listen. (submitted by Chloe B.)

uttered

(verb) to give audible expression to; speak or pronounce.

“But … why Mr. Anders?” uttered Billy. (submitted by Shawn P.)

ventured

(verb) to undertake to express, as when opposition or resistance appears likely to follow; be bold enough; dare.

“I’m thinking about doing it,” Rhonda ventured. (submitted by Claire E.)

volunteered

(verb) to offer (oneself or one’s services) for some undertaking or purpose.

“I guess I will,” Kathy volunteered, stepping forward. (submitted by Katherine K.)

welcomed

(verb) to greet hospitably with courtesy or cordiality.

“Hello everyone, please come in,” welcomed Mr Lancaster as his nieghbors entered the house.

went on

(verb) to continue happening or doing something as before.

“Anyway, before I was interrupted,” Sammy went on, “I was saying what if we went to the mall?” (submitted by Samantha B.)

Do you have a word that you think should be added to this list, or a comment?
Touch the button below to send Steven P. Wickstrom an e-mail:

📬 E-mail

To those of you who have e-mailed suggestions to me, I would like to say thank you very much. This page is a success because of you.
Steven P. Wickstrom

To view the alphabetized list of examples of words to use instead of said, touch the button below to go the examples page.

🦉 Examples

To print the list above click the button below to download the PDF file.
It takes twenty-three (23) 8.5″ x 11″ pages to print the list, so you may want to consider double-sided printing.

🖨️ Print

To print list above (without examples) click the button below to download the PDF file.
It takes four (4) 8.5″ x 11″ pages to print the list, so you may want to consider double-sided printing.

🖨️ Print

This page was last modified .

You’re probably looking for the words to use instead of said because this term is appearing too many times in your writing. Well, you’re not alone. Many people have difficulties avoiding this word in academic, fiction, and other forms of writing.

When you use the word “said”, you’re referencing or reporting the thoughts, feelings, or expressions of other people. The most appropriate way to do this is by introducing the speaker or attributing the thoughts, expressions, or statement to that person. This explains why most people are unable to avoid incorporating the word “said” or using a quotation in their writing.

However, you could be using too many quotations in an essay or any other form of writing. You could also be repeating “said” too many times in your writing. Upon noticing this, you might pause and ask, ‘what are better words for said?’

Well, you can use better words than said when referencing the thoughts or words expressed by somebody else in your writing. These words can be used to refer to thoughts or emotions that another person expresses in writing or verbally.

Why You Should Know the Words to Use Instead of Said

You should know more words that you can use instead of said in your writing for several reasons. Here are the three main reasons to know the words that you can use instead of said.

  • Make your writing more interesting and engaging: When you use different words instead of said in your writing, you make your write-up more interesting and engaging to read. That’s because you avoid repetition that can make readers feel exhausted when reading your work.
  • Make your work more accurate: Some words can express the emotions or thoughts of the speaker more accurately than said. Thus, using these words can reveal the speaker’s intention or the information they wanted to convey more accurately.
  • Make your writing more vivid and expressive: Using other words to reflect the tone or emotions of the speaker instead of quotes will make your writing more vivid and expressive. This gives readers a better sense of the intended meaning.

But finding the right words to use in your writing other than said can be challenging. That’s why our English assignment helper has come up with our other words for said list to help you. This list comprises 100 words to use instead of said. And it groups other words for said by emotion or thought of the speaker.

Other Words than Said that Express Happiness  

When a person says something in a joyful mood, you can use other words to replace said in your writing or conversation. These words can convey the positive, joyful, or happy tone of the person using words that rhyme with said. Here are some of them.

  1. Applauded
  2. Assured
  3. Approved
  4. Bantered
  5. Blathered
  6. Babbled
  7. Boasted
  8. Cheered
  9. Giggled
  10. Congratulated
  11. Joked
  12. Laughed
  13. Nodded
  14. Marveled
  15. Prattled
  16. Proclaimed
  17. Professed
  18. Smiled
  19. Spoke
  20. Yakked

These are some of the words to say instead of said when you want to express the joyful tone of the speaker.

Sad Words that Can Replace Said

Maybe you want to express the sadness of the speaker using other words instead of said. Sadness is a very common emotion that people express in writing. Here are some of the other words to use instead of said when expressing sadness.

  1. Choked
  2. Cried
  3. Moaned
  4. Coughed
  5. Groaned
  6. Bawled
  7. Sniffed
  8. Gurgled
  9. Sighed
  10. Sniffled
  11. Whined
  12. Wept
  13. Wailed
  14. Sobbed
  15. Whimpered
  16. Wailed
  17. Mumbled
  18. Sniffled
  19. Objected
  20. Vowed

These are other words for said to show that a person was not happy when saying something.

Angry Words for Said

Perhaps, you’re wondering, what words can you say instead of said to show that the speaker was angry? Well, you can use several words that replace said when you want to express feelings of anger. Here are some of them.  

  1. Interrupted
  2. Accused
  3. Barked
  4. Boomed
  5. Chided
  6. Complained
  7. Criticized
  8. Fumed
  9. Growled
  10. Badgered
  11. Chastised
  12. Commanded
  13. Denied
  14. Roared
  15. Scorned
  16. Snapped
  17. Snickered
  18. Stormed
  19. Rebuked
  20. Reproached

These are just some of the words to say other than said when you want to show that the speaker was angry. The list of words for said in this category is long and can even go to hundreds. Nevertheless, the words listed here are the most commonly used to express the anger of the speaker.

Alternative Words for Said that Show Uncertainty or Fear

Do you want to express the uncertainty or fear shown by the speaker? In that case, use these replacement words for said to convey the same emotion or feeling.

  1. Grunted
  2. Muttered
  3. Nagged
  4. Asked
  5. Sneezed
  6. Wondered
  7. Sputtered
  8. Snorted
  9. Mused
  10. Blurted
  11. Gulped
  12. Murmured
  13. Quavered
  14. Squealed
  15. Shuddered
  16. Clicked
  17. Bargained
  18. Shrilled
  19. Beseeched
  20. Paled

Depending on the situation, you can use these words for said to express fear or uncertainty more vividly and accurately.

Words Other than Said that Express Disagreement or Loudness

You can use different words for said to show that somebody did not agree with the sentiments of other people. These are words besides said, that can be used to express the loudness with which a person expresses their disagreement.

  1. Argued
  2. Raved
  3. Sassed
  4. Shouted
  5. Shrieked
  6. Screamed
  7. Jeered
  8. Ranted
  9. Complained
  10. Grumbled

Use these words in your essay to show that the speaker was in disagreement with the other people in a conversation. However, you should pick the words to use carefully to ensure that you convey the disagreement tone of the speaker properly.

More Words for Said

There are many words like said that can be used in different predicaments. For instance, you can use certain words to show that the speaker was emotionless when stating something. Some of the other words for said in an essay are expository. Here are more words that you can use instead of said in your writing.

  1. Mentioned
  2. Observed
  3. Noted
  4. Stated
  5. Reported
  6. Advanced
  7. Corroborated
  8. Posited
  9. Substantiated
  10. Emphasized

This list of words to use instead of said is not exhaustive. There are more than 100 words for said that can be used to convey different feelings or thoughts of the speakers. The most important thing is to pick the words to use carefully. That way, you will convey the emotions of the speakers more vividly and accurately in your writing. Take a closer look at our list of hard words to spell. This might be helpful as well.

Like this post? Please share to your friends:
  • Alternative word for synonym
  • Alternative word for spend
  • Alternative word for skills
  • Alternative word for searching
  • Alternative word for professional