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 the right time, Bernhardson is excited to visit his aforementioned 97-year-old father in Moorhead regularly, too. Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025 Nick also spoke of the pressures of being a Reiner (the family’s Hollywood bonafides extended to Nick’s grandfather, Carl Reiner), while trying to pursue a creative career. David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2025 But none stressed me with such zeal as Byrne’s Linda, a woman so consistently pushed to the edge with no safety net to speak of. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025 In his last conversation with Collins, in August, Dana spoke of his plans to retire in 2026. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 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 25 Dec. 2025.

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