diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index e89863807..4e924d76b 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ S3method(data_modify,data.frame)
 S3method(data_modify,default)
 S3method(data_modify,grouped_df)
 S3method(data_peek,data.frame)
+S3method(data_summary,data.frame)
+S3method(data_summary,default)
+S3method(data_summary,grouped_df)
+S3method(data_summary,matrix)
 S3method(data_tabulate,data.frame)
 S3method(data_tabulate,default)
 S3method(data_tabulate,grouped_df)
@@ -249,6 +253,7 @@ export(data_rotate)
 export(data_seek)
 export(data_select)
 export(data_separate)
+export(data_summary)
 export(data_tabulate)
 export(data_to_long)
 export(data_to_wide)
diff --git a/R/data_summary.R b/R/data_summary.R
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae37c2707
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/data_summary.R
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+#' @title Summarize data
+#' @name data_summary
+#'
+#' @description This function can be used to compute summary statistics for a
+#' data frame or a matrix.
+#'
+#' @param x A (grouped) data frame.
+#' @param by Optional character string, indicating the name of a variable in `x`.
+#' If supplied, the data will be split by this variable and summary statistics
+#' will be computed for each group.
+#' @param ... One or more named expressions that define the new variable name
+#' and the function to compute the summary statistic. Example:
+#' `mean_sepal_width = mean(Sepal.Width)`. The expression can also be provided
+#' as a character string, e.g. `"mean_sepal_width = mean(Sepal.Width)"`.
+#'
+#' @return A data frame with the requested summary statistics.
+#'
+#' @examples
+#' data(iris)
+#' data_summary(iris, MW = mean(Sepal.Width), SD = sd(Sepal.Width))
+#' data_summary(
+#'   iris,
+#'   MW = mean(Sepal.Width),
+#'   SD = sd(Sepal.Width),
+#'   by = "Species"
+#' )
+#'
+#' # same as
+#' d <- data_group(iris, "Species")
+#' data_summary(d, MW = mean(Sepal.Width), SD = sd(Sepal.Width))
+#'
+#' # multiple groups
+#' data(mtcars)
+#' data_summary(mtcars, MW = mean(mpg), SD = sd(mpg), by = c("am", "gear"))
+#'
+#' # expressions can also be supplied as character strings
+#' data_summary(mtcars, "MW = mean(mpg)", "SD = sd(mpg)", by = c("am", "gear"))
+#' @export
+data_summary <- function(x, ...) {
+  UseMethod("data_summary")
+}
+
+
+#' @export
+data_summary.matrix <- function(x, ..., by = NULL) {
+  data_summary(as.data.frame(x), ..., by = by)
+}
+
+
+#' @export
+data_summary.default <- function(x, ...) {
+  insight::format_error("`data_summary()` only works for (grouped) data frames and matrices.")
+}
+
+
+#' @rdname data_summary
+#' @export
+data_summary.data.frame <- function(x, ..., by = NULL) {
+  dots <- eval(substitute(alist(...)))
+
+  if (is.null(by)) {
+    # when we have no grouping, just compute a one-row summary
+    summarise <- .process_datasummary_dots(dots, x)
+    out <- data.frame(summarise)
+    colnames(out) <- vapply(summarise, names, character(1))
+  } else {
+    # split data
+    splitted_data <- split(x, x[by])
+    out <- lapply(splitted_data, function(s) {
+      # no data for combination? Return NULL
+      if (nrow(s) == 0) {
+        return(NULL)
+      }
+      # summarize data
+      summarise <- .process_datasummary_dots(dots, s)
+      # coerce to data frame
+      summarised_data <- data.frame(summarise)
+      # bind grouping-variables and values
+      summarised_data <- cbind(s[1, by], summarised_data)
+      # make sure we have proper column names
+      colnames(summarised_data) <- c(by, vapply(summarise, names, character(1)))
+      summarised_data
+    })
+    out <- do.call(rbind, out)
+  }
+  class(out) <- "data.frame"
+  rownames(out) <- NULL
+  out
+}
+
+
+#' @export
+data_summary.grouped_df <- function(x, ..., by = NULL) {
+  # extract group variables
+  grps <- attr(x, "groups", exact = TRUE)
+  group_variables <- data_remove(grps, ".rows")
+  # if "by" is not supplied, use group variables
+  if (is.null(by)) {
+    by <- colnames_to_row(group_variables)
+  }
+  attr(x, "groups") <- NULL
+  data_summary(x, ..., by = by)
+}
+
+
+# helper -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+.process_datasummary_dots <- function(dots, data) {
+  out <- NULL
+  if (length(dots)) {
+    # we check for character vector of expressions, in which case
+    # "dots" should be unnamed
+    if (is.null(names(dots))) {
+      # if we have multiple strings, concatenate them to a character vector
+      # and put it into a list...
+      if (length(dots) > 1) {
+        if (all(vapply(dots, is.character, logical(1)))) {
+          dots <- list(unlist(dots))
+        } else {
+          insight::format_error("You cannot mix string and literal representation of expressions.")
+        }
+      }
+      # expression is given as character string, e.g.
+      # a <- "double_SepWidth = 2 * Sepal.Width"
+      # data_modify(iris, a)
+      # or as character vector, e.g.
+      # data_modify(iris, c("var_a = Sepal.Width / 10", "var_b = Sepal.Width * 10"))
+      character_symbol <- tryCatch(.dynEval(dots[[1]]), error = function(e) NULL)
+      # do we have a character vector? Then we can proceed
+      if (is.character(character_symbol)) {
+        dots <- lapply(character_symbol, function(s) {
+          # turn value from character vector into expression
+          str2lang(.dynEval(s))
+        })
+        names(dots) <- vapply(dots, function(n) insight::safe_deparse(n[[2]]), character(1))
+      }
+    }
+
+    out <- lapply(seq_along(dots), function(i) {
+      new_variable <- .get_new_dots_variable(dots, i, data)
+      stats::setNames(new_variable, names(dots)[i])
+    })
+  }
+
+  out
+}
+
+
+.get_new_dots_variable <- function(dots, i, data) {
+  # iterate expressions for new variables
+  symbol <- dots[[i]]
+
+  # expression is given as character string in a variable, but named, e.g.
+  # a <- "2 * Sepal.Width"
+  # data_modify(iris, double_SepWidth = a)
+  # we reconstruct the symbol as if it were provided as literal expression.
+  # However, we need to check that we don't have a character vector,
+  # like: data_modify(iris, new_var = "a")
+  # this one should be recycled instead.
+  if (!is.character(symbol)) {
+    eval_symbol <- .dynEval(symbol, ifnotfound = NULL)
+    if (is.character(eval_symbol)) {
+      symbol <- try(str2lang(paste0(names(dots)[i], " = ", eval_symbol)), silent = TRUE)
+      # we may have the edge-case of having a function that returns a character
+      # vector, like "new_var = sample(letters[1:3])". In this case, "eval_symbol"
+      # is of type character, but no symbol, thus str2lang() above creates a
+      # wrong pattern. We then take "eval_symbol" as character input.
+      if (inherits(symbol, "try-error")) {
+        symbol <- str2lang(paste0(
+          names(dots)[i],
+          " = c(", paste0("\"", eval_symbol, "\"", collapse = ","), ")"
+        ))
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  # finally, we can evaluate expression and get values for new variables
+  new_variable <- try(with(data, eval(symbol)), silent = TRUE)
+
+  # successful, or any errors, like misspelled variable name?
+  if (inherits(new_variable, "try-error")) {
+    # in which step did error happen?
+    step_number <- switch(as.character(i),
+      "1" = "the first expression",
+      "2" = "the second expression",
+      "3" = "the third expression",
+      paste("expression", i)
+    )
+    step_msg <- paste0("There was an error in ", step_number, ".")
+    # try to find out which variable was the cause for the error
+    error_msg <- attributes(new_variable)$condition$message
+    if (grepl("object '(.*)' not found", error_msg)) {
+      error_var <- gsub("object '(.*)' not found", "\\1", error_msg)
+      insight::format_error(
+        paste0(step_msg, " Variable \"", error_var, "\" was not found in the dataset or in the environment."),
+        .misspelled_string(colnames(data), error_var, "Possibly misspelled or not yet defined?")
+      )
+    } else {
+      insight::format_error(paste0(
+        step_msg, " ", insight::format_capitalize(error_msg),
+        ". Possibly misspelled or not yet defined?"
+      ))
+    }
+  }
+
+  new_variable
+}
diff --git a/man/data_summary.Rd b/man/data_summary.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6c0e89744
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/data_summary.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/data_summary.R
+\name{data_summary}
+\alias{data_summary}
+\alias{data_summary.data.frame}
+\title{Summarize data}
+\usage{
+data_summary(x, ...)
+
+\method{data_summary}{data.frame}(x, ..., by = NULL)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{x}{A (grouped) data frame.}
+
+\item{...}{One or more named expressions that define the new variable name
+and the function to compute the summary statistic. Example:
+\code{mean_sepal_width = mean(Sepal.Width)}. The expression can also be provided
+as a character string, e.g. \code{"mean_sepal_width = mean(Sepal.Width)"}.}
+
+\item{by}{Optional character string, indicating the name of a variable in \code{x}.
+If supplied, the data will be split by this variable and summary statistics
+will be computed for each group.}
+}
+\value{
+A data frame with the requested summary statistics.
+}
+\description{
+This function can be used to compute summary statistics for a
+data frame or a matrix.
+}
+\examples{
+data(iris)
+data_summary(iris, MW = mean(Sepal.Width), SD = sd(Sepal.Width))
+data_summary(
+  iris,
+  MW = mean(Sepal.Width),
+  SD = sd(Sepal.Width),
+  by = "Species"
+)
+
+# same as
+d <- data_group(iris, "Species")
+data_summary(d, MW = mean(Sepal.Width), SD = sd(Sepal.Width))
+
+# multiple groups
+data(mtcars)
+data_summary(mtcars, MW = mean(mpg), SD = sd(mpg), by = c("am", "gear"))
+
+# expressions can also be supplied as character strings
+data_summary(mtcars, "MW = mean(mpg)", "SD = sd(mpg)", by = c("am", "gear"))
+}