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.
And speaking of inspirations, Conrad counts our ESSENCE cover star Brandy, who was blasting through speakers upon my entrance into the venue, as a major one. Akili King, Essence, 13 Oct. 2025 One might as well speak of embezzlers’ Jell-O. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 And speaking of interesting postgame tactics, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa called out teammates for not attending players-only meetings and for being generally tardy. Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 Burns spoke of his early-career memories, playing against Avs legends like Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 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 19 Oct. 2025.

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