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
After Sinner inflicted his third Grand Slam final defeat at the Australian Open in January, Zverev’s results took a nosedive, culminating in a first-round defeat at Wimbledon, after which the German spoke of how much his form was impacting him.
—
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Determined to revitalize the paper, but without any financial resources to speak of, Ned invites the paper’s staff, plus any interested parties from the toilet paper company, to serve as volunteer writers.
—Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
In April, La Flame spoke of his relationship with the controversial rapper in his Complex cover story.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2025
There are few businesses to speak of.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak of
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Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Determined to revitalize the paper, but without any financial resources to speak of, Ned invites the paper’s staff, plus any interested parties from the toilet paper company, to serve as volunteer writers.
—Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
In April, La Flame spoke of his relationship with the controversial rapper in his Complex cover story.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2025
There are few businesses to speak of.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 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 11 Nov. 2025.
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