speak
14 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of SPEAK
1
a
[no object]
:
to say words in order to express your thoughts, feelings, opinions, etc., to someone
:
to talk to someone
— often + to
— often + with in U.S. English
— often used at the beginning of telephone conversations
-
Have you two spoken since yesterday?
-
She and I spoke this morning.
-
He never speaks at the meetings.
-
Without speaking, she walked from the room.
-
They were speaking in Japanese.
-
We need to speak to our son's teacher about his grades.
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He spoke to the police through an interpreter.
-
They spoke to each other in a whisper.
-
The coach refused to speak with the reporters.
-
May I speak with you privately?
-
I spoke with him on the phone yesterday.
-
“Hello. May I speak to Noah?” “Speaking.” [=I am Noah]
-
“Hello. This is Noah speaking.”
b
[no object]
:
to talk about a particular subject or person
— often + about or of
-
She spoke intelligently about the current political situation.
-
He still speaks of his ex-wife with affection.
-
The company is doing very well, financially speaking. [=is doing very well financially]
c
[no object]
:
to say words to express yourself in a particular way
-
When I said you were my best friend, I was speaking sincerely.
-
Speaking personally, I don't think you should take the job. [=my personal opinion is that you should not take the job]
-
Generally speaking, people like her as a leader. [=people in general like her as a leader]
-
The restaurant isn't too expensive, comparatively/relatively speaking. [=when compared to other restaurants]
-
Speaking as a student (myself), I'm concerned about the alarming increase in school violence.
d
[+ object]
:
to say (something) to someone
-
She must be speaking the truth.
-
Not a word was spoken between them the whole time.
-
Don't be afraid to speak your mind. [=say what you think]
-
Do not speak a word of this to anyone else. [=do not tell anyone else anything about this]
2
:
to use your voice to say words
[no object]
-
He has laryngitis and can't speak.
-
You're speaking too fast/loudly.
-
She speaks with a Southern accent.
-
I was so surprised I could hardly speak.
-
She got a speaking part/role in the play. [=she got a part/role for which she says words]
-
He has a very deep speaking voice. [=his voice is very deep when he speaks]
[+ object]
-
The singer speaks the last verse instead of singing it.
3
[no object]
:
to be willing to talk to someone after having a disagreement, fight, etc.
-
They haven't spoken since the argument two years ago.
-
Are they still not speaking?
-
He apologized, so I'm speaking with/to him again.
-
They're not on speaking terms. [=they're not friendly and do not speak to each other]
4
[+ object]
:
to use (a particular language) to talk to someone
-
He can speak German and French.
-
English is widely spoken in many parts of the world.
-
We didn't know what language they were speaking.
-
the Spanish-speaking population/world
-
I can't speak a word of French. [=I do not know any French]
5
[no object]
:
to talk about something formally to a group of people
:
to make or give a speech
—
see also public speaking
-
She was asked to speak at the conference.
-
He has a talent for speaking to large audiences.
-
While most of the senators spoke against tax increases, one senator spoke in favor of them.
-
I have a speaking engagement [=I will be giving a speech] this evening.
actions speak louder than words
in a manner of speaking
so to speak
— used to indicate that you are using words in an unusual or figurative way rather than a literal way
-
We need to be all on the same wavelength, so to speak.
speak for
[phrasal verb]
1
speak for (someone)
:
to express the thoughts or opinions of (someone)
— often used figuratively
-
They chose him to speak for the group.
-
Speaking only for myself, I'm against the plan. [=I'm only expressing my own opinion when I say that I'm against the plan]
-
“We don't want any dessert.” “Speak for yourself. I want some.”
-
I have nothing more to say. The facts speak for themselves. [=the facts clearly show what is true]
2
speak for (something or someone)
chiefly US
:
to show that (something or someone) does or does not deserve to be praised, admired, etc.
-
It speaks well for [=says a lot for] the company that it donates so much money to local charities.
-
Her calm reaction to the crisis speaks well for her ability to perform under pressure.
-
The test results speak poorly for our school system.
3
be spoken for
:
to not be available because of already being claimed by someone else or in a relationship with someone else
-
I'm sorry. This seat is spoken for.
-
I can't go out with you; I'm already spoken for.
speak of
[phrasal verb]
1
speak of (someone or something)
:
to talk or write about (someone or something)
:
to mention (a subject) in speech or writing
-
Speaking of Jill, where is she?
-
It was the first time she spoke of going to law school.
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She never speaks of her suffering during the war.
-
In the letter, he spoke of feeling ill.
2
speak of (something)
:
to indicate or suggest (something)
-
His diaries speak of a troubled mind. [=they show that he had a troubled mind]
3
speak of (someone or something)
a
:
to talk about (someone or something) in a specified way
-
He spoke well/highly/favorably of both job candidates.
b
chiefly US
:
to show that (someone or something) does or does not deserve to be praised, admired, etc.
-
The continued success of the business speaks well of their judgment. [=shows that their judgment is good]
-
Her bad behavior speaks poorly of her upbringing.
speak of the devil
speak out
[phrasal verb]
:
to speak freely and confidently about something
:
to express an opinion in an open way
— often + against
-
She is never afraid to speak out on controversial issues.
-
Protesters spoke out against the decision.
speak the same language
speak up
[phrasal verb]
1
:
to speak loudly and clearly
-
“Speak up. I can't hear you.”
2
:
to speak at a meeting, in a class, etc.
-
Seeing that no one was going to answer the teacher's question, he decided to speak up.
3
:
to speak freely and confidently about something
:
to express an opinion openly
— often + for
-
Several of us decided to speak up about our working conditions.
-
She is always ready to speak up for animal rights.
speak volumes
speak your mind
to speak of
:
worth mentioning or noticing
-
There was no progress to speak of.
speak
refers to anything that is said, whether it is understood or not and whether it is heard or not.
-
What language are they speaking?
-
She spoke to the class.
talk
suggests that there is a listener who understands what is said and often that both people do some speaking.
-
Do you have time to talk?
-
We talked about school.
