speak of
phrasal verb
spoke of; spoken of; speaking of; speaks of
1
: 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.
She never speaks of her suffering during the war.
In the letter, he spoke of feeling ill.
2
: to indicate or suggest (something)
His diaries speak of a troubled mind.
3
: to talk about (someone or something) in a specified way
He spoke well/highly/favorably of both job candidates.
4
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.
Her bad behavior speaks poorly of her upbringing.
Examples of speak of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Khalidi, the Columbia historian, speaks of the campus clashes as a turning point for younger Americans.
—
Charles Homans Gabra Zackman Anna Diamond Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 29 May 2024
Both speak of opposing transgender athletes competing in women’s sports and other trans rights.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2024
In a June 2022 interview with PEOPLE, Garcia spoke of his bond with the then seven-month-old.
—Emma Kershaw, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
To her surprise, many of her students spoke of fear.
—Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 18 May 2024
In the study, women spoke of partners choking them without having obtained consent ahead of time, a flouting of essential, first-priority kink practices.
—R. O. Kwon, TIME, 17 May 2024
For Una cannot openly speak of her love for Diddi (Baldur Einarsson).
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 May 2024
Before speaking of her friendship with Peck, the Oscar winner took a shot at former Vice President Mike Pence, who has been accused of, at one point, supporting gay conversion therapy.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2024
Historic companies like Patek Philippe still refer to gilded dials, while younger brands—or those surfing the trend—tend to speak of salmon dials.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 13 May 2024
Charles Homans Gabra Zackman Anna Diamond Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 29 May 2024
Both speak of opposing transgender athletes competing in women’s sports and other trans rights.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2024
In a June 2022 interview with PEOPLE, Garcia spoke of his bond with the then seven-month-old.
—Emma Kershaw, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
To her surprise, many of her students spoke of fear.
—Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 18 May 2024
In the study, women spoke of partners choking them without having obtained consent ahead of time, a flouting of essential, first-priority kink practices.
—R. O. Kwon, TIME, 17 May 2024
For Una cannot openly speak of her love for Diddi (Baldur Einarsson).
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 May 2024
Before speaking of her friendship with Peck, the Oscar winner took a shot at former Vice President Mike Pence, who has been accused of, at one point, supporting gay conversion therapy.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2024
Historic companies like Patek Philippe still refer to gilded dials, while younger brands—or those surfing the trend—tend to speak of salmon dials.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 13 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speak of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Cite this Entry
“Speak of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speak%20of. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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