Another word for said and meaning

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!

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

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

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

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

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. 

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: 

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. 

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. 

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!

Do you need another word for “said”? In this lesson, we will learn the list of synonyms for said to expand English vocabulary.

Said Definition

Said is a verb that means to express something in words, especially to express a thought or opinion. It is often used when quoting someone or writing dialogue.

For example:

• She said, “I’m tired of this argument.”
• “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said.

Said is a past tense verb, and it is used to indicate that something was spoken or written in the past. It is a common word that is used frequently in written and spoken language to indicate that someone has expressed a thought or idea.

Common Synonyms for Said

There are many words that can be used in place of “said” when quoting someone or writing dialogue:

• replied
• answered
• retorted
• countered
• exclaimed
• stated
• declared
• expressed
• articulated
• murmured
• mumbled
• whispered

Which word you choose will depend on the context of the conversation and the tone of the speaker. Some words, like “replied” and “answered,” are more neutral and straightforward, while others, like “exclaimed” and “murmured,” convey more emotion or intensity.

Synonyms for Said

List of Said Synonyms

There are many different words to use instead of “said” in English. Here are 88 English synonyms for said you can improve your vocabulary every day.

• Denied
• Added
• Blurted
• Admitted
• Prayed
• Grunted
• Tolerated
• Cautioned
• Announced
• Answered
• Argued
• Asked
• Babbled
• Begged
• Boasted
• Bragged
• Called
• Commented
• Assured
• Conceded
• Founded
• Avoided
• Maintained
• Avowed
• Estimated
• Complained
• Confessed
• Cried
• Declared
• Demanded
• Exclaimed
• Explained
• Expressed
• Giggled
• Repeated
• Threatened
• Emphasized
• Advised
• Stipulated
• Claimed
• Affirmed
• Grinned
• Laughed
• Lied
• Mentioned
• Mumbled
• Moaned
• Pronounced
• Remarked
• Corrected
• Agreed
• Pleaded
• Bellowed
• Decided
• Theorized
• Confused
• Replied
• Responded
• Scolded
• Screamed
• Joked
• Awakened
• Growled
• Continued
• Shouted
• Stated
• Shouted
• Forewarned
• Guessed
• Challenged
• Asserted
• Hinted
• Reminded
• Proclaimed
• Whimpered
• Conceited
• Suggested
• Teased
• Told
• Uttered
• Warned
• Whined
• Concluded
• Gasped
• Related
• Insisted
• Whispered
• Yelled

Examples of Said Synonyms

Denied

When we confronted him, he denied everything.

Added

“Let me explain!” he added helpfully.

Blurted

He blurted out the bad news before I could stop him.

Admitted

She admitted stealing the money from her employers.

Prayed

We prayed she would recover from her illness.

Grunted

She grunted something I didn’t catch.

Tolerated

She tolerated the teasing, until the fourth grade.

Cautioned

He cautioned them to avoid the forest at night.

Announced

Janis and Kurt have announced their engagement.

Answered

He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.

Argued

She argued that she should not go.

Asked

I asked him his name, but he didn’t respond.

Babbled

She babbled the secret out to her boyfriend.

Begged

She begged and pleaded with them until they finally agreed.

Boasted

He boasted that he could speak six languages fluently.

Bragged

He bragged that he had passed the exam easily.

Called

The teacher called the boy to the front.

Commented

Joan commented that it was a better play than usual, and I agreed.

Assured

She assured herself that the letter was still in the drawer.

Conceded

I conceded that I had made a mistake.

Founded

The research seemed founded on quicksand.

Avoided

She avoided conversation with the other passengers.

Maintained

He maintained that he learned everything he knew from his predecessor Kenneth Sisam.

Avowed

“I’ll be progressive from now on,” she avowed.

Estimated

I estimated that I should finish in ten days.

Complained

Managers had complained that the workers were lazy and unreliable.

Confessed

They confessed themselves to have made a great mistake.

Cried

He cried to his friend on the opposite side of the street.

Declared

He concentrated his pupils and declared the exciting news.

Demanded

“What’s so funny?” she demanded.

Exclaimed

She exclaimed in delight when she saw the presents.

Explained

I explained that an ambulance would be coming soon.

Expressed

She never expressed any sympathy when I was injured.

Giggled

Suddenly she giggled and I realized I was still holding her fingers.

Repeated

“Ohhh,” she repeated, feeling achy and tired.

Threatened

He threatened to bring a private prosecution against the doctor.

Emphasized

She emphasized that their plan would mean sacrifices and hard work.

Advised

She advised us to look abroad for more lucrative business ventures.

Stipulated

I stipulated that it had to be different from mine.

Claimed

She claimed she was repeatedly passed over for promotion.

Affirmed

She affirmed her intention to apply for the post.

Grinned

They grinned with delight when they heard our news.

Laughed

When I began to sing, he laughed and made me embarrassed.

Lied

The child lied to the teacher about his reasons for being late.

Mentioned

Nobody mentioned anything to me about it.

Mumbled

“It’s all my fault,” he mumbled thickly.

Moaned

“I might never see you again,” she moaned.

Pronounced

She pronounced the word very slowly and precisely.

Remarked

“That’s your problem,” she remarked unkindly.

Corrected

“It’s Yates, not Wates,” she corrected him.

Agreed

Molly agreed, but she did not sound very convinced.

Pleaded

He pleaded with his parents for a more understanding attitude.

Bellowed

“Go away!” he bellowed angrily.

Decided

We decided to have a picnic down by the lake.

Theorized

The geologist theorized brilliantly about the age of the earth.

Confused

I’m totally confused. Could you explain that again?

Replied

“I won’t let you down,” he replied confidently.

Responded

She responded to my letter with a phone call.

Scolded

“You should be at school,” he scolded.

Screamed

She screamed at him, her eyes blind with tears.

Joked

She joked that she only loved him for his money.

Awakened

She awakened to the sound of birds singing.

Growled

“Get out of my way,” he growled.

Continued

I continued my studies in a rather haphazard way.

Shouted

“Good morning, Mrs. Crawford,” the children shouted in unison.

Stated

“Our relationship is totally platonic,” she stated.

Shouted

He shouted that he couldn’t swim.

Forewarned

The fishermen were forewarned of the oncoming of the storm.

Guessed

He guessed the answer to the teacher’s question.

Challenged

He challenged me to play another tennis game.

Asserted

“That is wrong,” he asserted.

Hinted

She hinted darkly that all was not well.

Reminded

He reminded himself to thank her for the present.

Proclaimed

The government has proclaimed a new law.

Whimpered

“Don’t leave me alone,” he whimpered.

Suggested

He suggested that my car should be serviced.

Teased

He teased me mercilessly about going to Hollywood.

Told

I told her to send the letter by airmail.

Uttered

When he heard the news, he uttered a sigh.

Warned

“Be careful, the rocks are slippery,” Alex warned.

Whined

“I want to go home,” whined Toby.

Concluded

The doctor concluded that further treatment would be useless.

Gasped

He gasped out when he read the letter.

Related

He related what he had seen in the theatre.

Insisted

He insisted that I was wrong.

Whispered

“Keep your voice down,” I whispered.

Yelled

“Help me!” she yelled hysterically.

Another Word for Said | Infographic

Said Synonyms – Words to Use Instead of Said

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

Princeton’s WordNetRate this antonym:3.1 / 12 votes

1. aforesaid(a), aforementioned(a), said(a)adjective

   being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

   «works of all the aforementioned authors»; «said party has denied the charges»

   Antonyms:
   other

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:3.7 / 11 votes

1. spoke

   related to the word said as a synonym

   elizabeth spoke, «i think i’ve heard enough.»

   Submitted by rinat on August 15, 2019  

2. replied

   because i think that it really works and is really connected to «said»

   she replied

   Submitted by rinat on October 2, 2019  

3. stated

   she stated that she saw nothing during the time of the robbery

   Submitted by anonymous on September 6, 2020  

4. scoffed, yelled, scolded, complained, whimpered, reported, whispered, admitted, replied

   there are a lot of synonyms for said. synonyms can be different depending on your character’s feelings.

   some more synonyms: scoffed, yelled, scolded, complained, whimpered, reported, whispered, admitted, mouthed, replied, told, bragged, teased, insisted, blushed, apologized, howled, demanded, promised, laughed, giggled, chuckled, bellowed, volunteered, snapped, thundered, screamed, reprimanded, warned, guessed, sniveled, begged, uttered, urged, cried, etc.

   «there is a monster!» shrieked maxine.

   Submitted by anonymous on October 26, 2020  

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:3.8 / 18 votes

1. List of paraphrases for «said»:

   told, stated, declared, reported, sayid, mentioned, saeed, announced, added, indicated, say, says, expressed, noted, this, explained, tell, claimed, affirmed, asserted, confirmed, stressed, clarified, testified, pointed, saïd, syed, argued, that

NicknamesRate these nicknames:5.0 / 1 vote

1. List of known nicknames for «Said»:

   Saïd

Suggested Resources

1. said

   Song lyrics by said — Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by said on the Lyrics.com website.

2. SAID

   What does SAID stand for? — Explore the various meanings for the SAID acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce said?

How to say said in sign language?

How to use said in a sentence?

1. Yale University:

   My daughter looked into my eyes and had a realization. She just asked, I said yes, and she said OK, she didn’t want any more information.

2. James Comey:

   I know there were many opinions expressed by people who were not part of the investigation – including people in government – but none of that mattered to us, opinions are irrelevant, and they were all uninformed by insight into our investigation, because we did the investigation the right way. Only facts matter, and the FBI found them here in an entirely apolitical and professional way. Andrew Napolitano, former judge and senior judicial analyst for Fox News Channel, said many law enforcement agents involved with the Clinton email investigation have similar beliefs.

3. Eric Siddall:

   It would be like someone said ‘You have a (Apple) MacBook, but I want you to use an abacus to solve this mathematical problem,’ the district attorney is not always on the side of victims of crime.

4. Heather Baber:

   Yes! Yes. He was very surprised, very overwhelmed. Lots of tears. He finished out his shift last night and there were tears on and off all night. He said it was the best day of his life.

5. Duyeon Kim:

   He said that this January, but he’s engaged in this diplomatic process with the Duyeon Kim, it’ll be interesting to see how Pyongyang negotiates going forward because Kim Jong Un claimed this year that nobody could reverse their nuclear capabilities.

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