in so many words
Said out loud
In so many words means explicitly or directly stated, without ambiguity or euphemism: She didn't say in so many words that I was fired, but that was clearly the message.
The phrase often appears with a negative—someone didn't say something in so many words, meaning the idea was implied rather than spelled out.
- mouthOral opening
- directUndeviating or to guide
- plain EnglishUnadorned, accessible wording
- point blankAt very close range
- letterWritten symbol or message
voice · unambiguous · straightforward · on the nose · implied · turn of phrase · clear · subtext · literal · allusive · read between the lines · bluntly · suggestive · euphemism · beating around the bush · inferred · verbatim · spell it out
in so many wordsimplicitly
Without direct expression
between the lines · indirectly · tacitly · obliquely · sotto voce
in so many wordsvaguely
In unclear fashion
ambiguously · more or less · roughly speaking · approximately · in a manner of speaking
many, words, word, wording, worded, wordless, wordiness, wordy, manifold