1
a
: to say words in order to express your thoughts, feelings, opinions, etc., to someone : to talk to someone
Have you two spoken since yesterday?
She and I spoke this morning.
He never speaks at the meetings.
Without speaking, she walked from the room.
They were speaking in Japanese.
—often + toWe need to speak to our son's teacher about his grades.
He spoke to the police through an interpreter.
They spoke to each other in a whisper.
—often + with in U.S. EnglishThe coach refused to speak with the reporters.
May I speak with you privately?
I spoke with him on the phone yesterday.
—often used at the beginning of telephone conversations"Hello. May I speak to Noah?" "Speaking." [=I am Noah]
"Hello. This is Noah speaking."
b
: to talk about a particular subject or person
—often + about or of
She spoke intelligently about the current political situation.
He still speaks of his ex-wife with affection.
The company is doing very well, financially speaking. [=is doing very well financially]
c
: to say words to express yourself in a particular way
When I said you were my best friend, I was speaking sincerely.
Speaking personally, I don't think you should take the job. [=my personal opinion is that you should not take the job]
Generally speaking, people like her as a leader. [=people in general like her as a leader]
The restaurant isn't too expensive, comparatively/relatively speaking. [=when compared to other restaurants]
Speaking as a student (myself), I'm concerned about the alarming increase in school violence.
d
: to say (something) to someone
She must be speaking the truth.
Not a word was spoken between them the whole time.
Don't be afraid to speak your mind. [=say what you think]
Do not speak a word of this to anyone else. [=do not tell anyone else anything about this]
2
: to use your voice to say words
He has laryngitis and can't speak.
You're speaking too fast/loudly.
She speaks with a Southern accent.
I was so surprised I could hardly speak.
She got a speaking part/role in the play. [=she got a part/role for which she says words]
He has a very deep speaking voice. [=his voice is very deep when he speaks]
The singer speaks the last verse instead of singing it.
3
: to be willing to talk to someone after having a disagreement, fight, etc.
They haven't spoken since the argument two years ago.
Are they still not speaking?
He apologized, so I'm speaking with/to him again.
They're not on speaking terms. [=they're not friendly and do not speak to each other]
4
: to use (a particular language) to talk to someone
He can speak German and French.
English is widely spoken in many parts of the world.
We didn't know what language they were speaking.
the Spanish-speaking population/world
I can't speak a word of French. [=I do not know any French]
5
: to talk about something formally to a group of people : to make or give a speech
She was asked to speak at the conference.
He has a talent for speaking to large audiences.
While most of the senators spoke against tax increases, one senator spoke in favor of them.
I have a speaking engagement [=I will be giving a speech] this evening.
ˌspiːk
—used to form words that refer to the special languages or words used for particular activities or by particular groups
computerspeak [=the language used by people talking about computers]
Californiaspeak [=the type of language used by people in California]
Cite this Entry
“Speak.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/speak. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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