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Glite Dictionary
to say farewell

to say farewell

12 3.8
To tell someone goodbye before you leave, often in a formal or sad way
  • phrasal verb
  • /seɪ fɛrˈwɛl/
  • Formal
: despedirse
  • In a nationally televised address Wednesday evening, Prime Minister George Papandreou said farewell to the Greek people before meeting with Greece's president.

While we say farewell to summer Mac whisper of guilt.

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Examples

  • I have come hurriedly to pay my respects and to say farewell for a while.

    The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)

  • So it's time for us to say farewell to Vista Village and you to you.

  • Oh, there are so many ways to say farewell.

    Hard Country (1981)

  • I came to say farewell.

    The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

  • Your train leaves within the hour, and my wife would like to say farewell.

    The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)

  • I had a chance to say farewell to my sister, to wish her the best of luck.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Yes, well, this is where we say farewell, my friends.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • As we say farewell to our friend Sam Wheat, we are reminded of his kindness, his generosity, his buoyancy of spirit.

    Ghost (1990)

  • At the end of the ceremony, we gathered to say farewell to the graduates with heartfelt speeches.

  • As she boarded the plane, her family waved and said farewell with tears in their eyes.

Synonyms

to say goodbye
vsto say farewell
562 1.0

To tell someone you are leaving and wish them well

is often more formal or emotionally charged than this phrase
to sign off
vsto say farewell
37 3.8

To end a broadcast or show, usually with a final remark

is a personal or formal parting expression used between people not just broadcasts
to wave goodbye
vsto say farewell
19 1.3

Move your hand back and forth to show you are saying goodbye

is a verbal or formal parting expression rather than a physical gesture
to take leave
vsto say farewell
  • Formal
5 3.9

Say goodbye to people and go away from a place politely

is more about emotional spoken parting than formal departure
to farewell
vsto say farewell
  • Formal
5 3.5

To say goodbye to someone, often at a special event

is more emotional or personal rather than only ceremonial
to take her leave
vsto say farewell
  • Formal
1 7.7

To say goodbye and leave politely

is gender-neutral and applies to any person
to say hooroo
vsto say farewell
  • Australian
9.9

To say goodbye to someone in a friendly, informal way

is more formal or emotional than this informal regional expression

Antonyms

to welcome
583 1.0

Greet someone in a friendly way when they arrive

How Emotional

to kiss goodbye
  • Informal
2 5.0
to say farewell
  • Formal
12 3.8
to say goodbye
562 1.0

Surface Forms

say farewell infinitive
saying farewell present participle
says farewell third person singular
said farewell past
said farewell past participle

Morphology

say + farewell

The meaning 'to express goodbye' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'say' (to speak) with 'farewell' (an expression or occasion of parting). This verb + noun collocation follows a common compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand the MWE.

Etymology

Say farewell comes from the image of someone speaking a final, formal word as they leave; the parts say (speak) and farewell (a formal 'good-bye') create the picture of using words to end a visit. So, say farewell now means 'to say good-bye' or 'to take leave' in a formal or emotional way.