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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, the Olympic Charter speaks of human dignity, promoting peace in the world while preserving that dignity. Ihor N. Stelmach, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026 France striker Mbappe — who has spoken of suffering racist abuse earlier in his career — appeared in the stadium’s mixed zone to lay out his version of events. Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026 In a eulogy at his father’s funeral in 2015, Hunter-Torricke spoke of how this shaped his own worldview. Billy Perrigo, Time, 17 Feb. 2026 Musicians and studio heads in the audience nodded along as the producers and engineers spoke of some of the quirks of Brian’s production approach — some unique to the project and period, like his timely fixation on analog synths; some more long-lasting. Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026 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 20 Feb. 2026.

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