Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
A verb (such as "explained", "shouted", or "uttered") used to indicate dialogue when writing fiction, chosen so as to avoid using the word "said".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
Topics: authorship, broadcasting, communications, film, journalism, literature, media, publishing, television, writing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The studious avoidance, in writing dialogue, of the word "said".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: authorship, broadcasting, communications, film, journalism, literature, media, publishing, television, writing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: bookism
Antonyms: none provided
History
From The Said Book + -ism; coined by James Blish, writing under the pen name William Atheling Jr., after The Said Book, the title of a booklet for aspiring writers listing countless alternatives to the word “said” in writing dialogue.
