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
Macron has also spoken of European forces potentially being deployed away from Ukraine’s front lines to help deter future Russian aggression.
—
John Leicester, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Before this game, Moyes had spoken of wishing for another chance to be in a position to push into the top four — as his team had been ahead of their game against Chelsea earlier in December.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Maduro spoke of his mentor, Hugo Chávez, the founder of the Bolivarian revolution.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
And speaking of options, items tend to come into stores with donations over the weekends, Wright adds, so shops will likely be chock full with new goodies.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speak of
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John Leicester, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Before this game, Moyes had spoken of wishing for another chance to be in a position to push into the top four — as his team had been ahead of their game against Chelsea earlier in December.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Maduro spoke of his mentor, Hugo Chávez, the founder of the Bolivarian revolution.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
And speaking of options, items tend to come into stores with donations over the weekends, Wright adds, so shops will likely be chock full with new goodies.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 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 9 Jan. 2026.
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