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
Well, speaking of Gossip Girl, that so clearly had a huge impact on your career.
—
H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Earthy and delicious, the sauce and the meat, served rare, spoke of wood, citrus and ancestral vines.
—Sylvie Bigar, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Governments and think tanks now speak of spheres of influence, something the U.S. long opposed.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
And speaking of, the cream has a little bit of a reflective finish, which makes lackluster skin look anything but.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak of
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.
H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Earthy and delicious, the sauce and the meat, served rare, spoke of wood, citrus and ancestral vines.
—Sylvie Bigar, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Governments and think tanks now speak of spheres of influence, something the U.S. long opposed.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
And speaking of, the cream has a little bit of a reflective finish, which makes lackluster skin look anything but.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 29 Apr. 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 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share