He said, “I washed my hands”.
She said, “I am bored at home.”
They said, “Please wear your mask.”
I broke the ice, “Why is everyone using Said?!”
Why use said,
when you have wonderful words instead?
So, in today’s video I will give you 30 advanced words and expressions that you can use instead of Said. Coz, Said is Dead ! Now, imagine Person A is narrating something to you. He or she could be Excited, Laughing, Angry, Scared, Sad, Assertive or just plain Subtle. How will you describe what Person A is saying in such a way that you perfectly capture their emotion? Let’s begin our 30 stupendous words and expressions that you can use instead of the boring old ‘said’. And I promise that by the end of this video you will be able to impress everyone with your fluent English speaking skills.
Our First category is words to use when someone speaks with excitement
-
Gushed—
Gushed is used when they are overflowing with energy and enthusiasm. Example: “He’s the best boyfriend in the whole world!” Sara gushed.
2. Let the cat out of the bag—
This phrase is used when someone reveals a secret. “Jack is the one writing those letters,” Jill wanted to whisper, but let the cat out of the bag in front of the whole class.
3. Blurted the Truth –
If Jill could NOT keep the secret to herself out of excitement or maybe even fear , we can also use the phrase: blurted the truth. “Jack is the one writing all the letters,” Jill blurted the truth.
4. Prattled—
To prattle means to talk at length about an inconsequential matter.
“My shoelace is really pretty,” Jenny prattled on, but nobody was interested.
5. Talk nineteen to the dozen—
You can use this phrase when someone talks non-stop more than what is required! “The engine is 200 Horespower and the braking system is cutting edge,” he talked nineteen to the dozen about his new car.
6. Marvelled—
”This shining gold looks so beautiful,” Kate marvelled. You use marvel when you’re filled with awe and wonder.
And our next category of words describes someone speaking while they are laughing –
Guffawed—
A guffaw is a loud boisterous burst of laughter. “Kids these days don’t know the real world,” the old farmer guffawed.
Giggled—
”I am very ticklish in my armpits,” Wendy giggled. A giggle is a light silly laugh.
Split their sides—
“This comedian is too funny,” the audience split their sides. This phrase can be used when someone is laughing so hard that they feel like they might burst into two!
Cackled—
A cackle is a harsh high pitched laugh.“I’m going to eat up all the children,” the evil witch cackled.
Next we have some fabulous words to use when someone says something in anger,
Roared—
“How dare you lie to me?” my father roared. Roaring is speaking very loudly and angrily.
An alternate is Bellowed.
“How dare you talk to me like that,” my mother bellowed. If you haven’t experienced this from your parents, you’re very lucky.
Exploded—
When we say someone exploded it means that they suddenly begin to shout in anger. Like a bomb exploding. “This country is going to the dogs,” the politician exploded during his opponent’s speech.
Blow your top—
Have you ever seen the lid of a pressure cooker fly up if it’s kept on the gas for too long? We use a similar phrase to describe someone who loses their temper and goes all out. “I can’t take this nonesene anymore,” she blew her top.
Coming up now are words to use when someone speaks in Fear
Muttered under her breath—
When someone says something so softly that only they can hear it, we use this phrase. “I hope there are no spiders here,” Lara muttered under her breath.
An alternative is Mumbled.
Mumbled means speaking unclearly and softly. “Math is so boring,” Peter mumbled. Thank God he mumbled or the teacher would have heard him!
Shrieked—
A shriek is a high-pitched cry. “Aa! There’s a snake,” the little girl shrieked. You can also use screamed.
Yelped—
The opposite of shrieked is yelped, a short sharp cry. “Ouch” she yelped as she bumped into the table.
And now for some unique words to use when someone speaks in Sadness
Sniffled—
Sniffling is the sound people make when tears run out of their nose, and they’re crying lightly. For example, “I’ll be ok soon,” Janet sniffled. You can also use sobbed.
Lamented—
“I miss my wife,” the widower lamented. Lamenting is a passionate expression of sorrow
Wailed—
We use wailed when someone is crying loudly in grief. “Don’t go,” Mrs. Smith wailed when her husband left for war.
Cried foul—
This phrase is used when someone wants to protest about an injustice that has happened with them. “I won the bet but Harry refuses to give me money,” John cried foul.
Cried stinking fish—
This is a unique one! Crying stinking fish can be used when a person talks badly about themselves and brings their own personality down.
“I don’t think I’m good enough to be a part of the Quidditch team,” Ron cried stinking fish. Well, we all know he finally got selected!
Up next are expressions when someone speaks assertively
Emphasized—
“It’s not about the quantity of friends you have but the quality,” my grandmother emphasized. We use this term when someone stresses on what they’re speaking, marking it as important.
Demanded—
“Give me that file right now!” the boss demanded. Demanding is asking for something directly without any courtesy. You can also use insisted, if someone asks repetitively “You must hand in your files by today,” the boss insisted.
Proclaimed—
“I will give the winner 50 gold coins!” the King proclaimed. Proclaiming is used when someone declares something aloud.
Parotted the facts—
Have you heard a parrot speak? It repeats exactly what it’s taught. It doesn’t really understand the meaning but it jabbers on with full confidence. If you want to describe someone who speaks similarly you can use this phrase. “The schoolboy did not understand a word of what he was saying but he parotted the facts before his teacher”
And finally here are some cool expressions you can use when someone is speaking in a Subtle manner
Dropped a hint—
I nickname this phrase ‘saying-something-but-not-really’
Many times, people say things indirectly, either because they don’t know you very well, or because they want you to find out!
“I think there’s something special on the 17th,” she dropped a hint about her own birthday.
Mused—
“What is the true meaning of life?” David mused. We use this word when someone speaks in a very thoughtful manner. You can also use wondered. “Does life have only one meaning?” David wondered.
Cleared the air—
Clearing the air means sorting out any misunderstanding, or diffusing a tense situation. “Let’s put the past behind us and be friends” Tina cleared the air with Nina.
What’s your favorite alternative word or phrase? Tell me in the comments below! Happy Learning.
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