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
An immigrant from a poor village in southern Italy, Yolanda Luzzi had no public life to speak of, barely having worked a day outside the home in her entire life.
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Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
In a recent interview with GQ, Baumbach speaks of his time prior to making The Squid and the Whale as very formative.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Genesis just unveiled its new Magma GT Concept, a luxury performance car that might one day be spoken of in the same breath as the BMW M1 or Lexus LFA.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2025
Another 8% spoke of immoral orders.
—Charli Carpenter, The Conversation, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak of
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Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
In a recent interview with GQ, Baumbach speaks of his time prior to making The Squid and the Whale as very formative.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Genesis just unveiled its new Magma GT Concept, a luxury performance car that might one day be spoken of in the same breath as the BMW M1 or Lexus LFA.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2025
Another 8% spoke of immoral orders.
—Charli Carpenter, The Conversation, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak of
Cite this Entry
“Speak of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speak%20of. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
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