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
And speaking of water, book a boat ride on the region’s namesake lake, or glide by the warm colors on a paddle trip along Buffalo National River.
—
Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2025
Fabio speaks of Stanton’s homes in New York and Fire Island as social rooms with a jukebox at the center, a portrait studio disguised as a life among friends.
—Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
At 5-2, with no nonconference wins to speak of, the Trojans will need to run the table to re-enter the conversation.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Foster, a 16-time Grammy-winning composer known for commercial songs and production work for acts including Chicago, Michael Bublé, and Céline Dion, spoke of his role as a 20-year-old keyboard player for the Sunset Strip production.
—Katherine Turman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
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Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2025
Fabio speaks of Stanton’s homes in New York and Fire Island as social rooms with a jukebox at the center, a portrait studio disguised as a life among friends.
—Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
At 5-2, with no nonconference wins to speak of, the Trojans will need to run the table to re-enter the conversation.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Foster, a 16-time Grammy-winning composer known for commercial songs and production work for acts including Chicago, Michael Bublé, and Céline Dion, spoke of his role as a 20-year-old keyboard player for the Sunset Strip production.
—Katherine Turman, Rolling Stone, 17 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 22 Oct. 2025.
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