1
as in talk
a usually formal discourse delivered to an audience
the guest of honor gave a short speech in appreciation of the award
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in language
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication
wanting to develop a writing system for his people, Sequoya created a system of 86 symbols representing all the syllables of Cherokee speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of speech
The swelling on her brain is still not fully gone, causing difficulties with speech and mobility of the right side of her body as well as memory problems.
—
Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 12 June 2025
In a sign of those divisions, half of the parliament hall was empty on Wednesday morning when Tusk gave his address, with many lawmakers from the right-wing Law and Justice party boycotting his speech.
—Arkansas Online, 12 June 2025
In her speech accepting Best Female Hip-Hop Artist on June 9 at the BET Awards, Doechii highlighted the protests happening right outside the Peacock Theater, where the awards show took place.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 June 2025
This year’s meeting had stellar acoustic performances and moving speeches from honorees Kacey Musgraves and Gracie Abrams as well as Thomas Rhett, a tribute song to Musgraves from Leon Bridges, and lots of data about the ongoing battle for songwriters’ rights — and payment — in the streaming age.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for speech
Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 12 June 2025
In a sign of those divisions, half of the parliament hall was empty on Wednesday morning when Tusk gave his address, with many lawmakers from the right-wing Law and Justice party boycotting his speech.
—Arkansas Online, 12 June 2025
In her speech accepting Best Female Hip-Hop Artist on June 9 at the BET Awards, Doechii highlighted the protests happening right outside the Peacock Theater, where the awards show took place.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 June 2025
This year’s meeting had stellar acoustic performances and moving speeches from honorees Kacey Musgraves and Gracie Abrams as well as Thomas Rhett, a tribute song to Musgraves from Leon Bridges, and lots of data about the ongoing battle for songwriters’ rights — and payment — in the streaming age.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for speech
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speech
Noun
-
Yet Trump, whose administration had entered into talks with Iran aimed at reaching an agreement on the country's nuclear program, has backed the Israeli offensive and has openly contemplated joining the Israeli campaign through strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
-
While the casting had not been finalized, the trade publications all mentioned that Brad Pitt was in talks to star.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Because perhaps heartbreak is not only a curse, but also a language.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
20 June 2025
-
Strip out all corporate language, jargon, and unnecessary words.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Posted on YouTube, the 7-minute video features comedian Martin Herlihy holding a lecture before a group of high school students, with the goal of teaching them how to convince their parents to buy them a Mac for college.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
20 June 2025
-
In 2019, a national survey of OB-GYN, internal medicine and family practice residency programs revealed that 20% of graduating residents had received no lectures on menopause, and 6.8% felt unprepared to care for menopausal patients.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
According to the California Library Association, summer reading programs help children and teens retain and enhance their reading skills over the summer and benefit adults by stimulating the brain, increasing vocabulary and sparking imagination.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
16 June 2025
-
For much of the past 1,000 years, Yiddish was spoken by three quarters of the world’s Jews — a Germanic vernacular, seasoned with Hebrew, Slavic and Romance vocabulary, that bridged polyglot Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe and followed them to the far corners of the diaspora.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
The architectural showstopper, flanked by grand Corinthian arches, is considered one of the British capital’s most elegant and exclusive addresses, a magnet for high-profile names past and present.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
16 June 2025
-
For Top-Scoring All-Round Comfort: Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane, Mayfair At first glance, this Mayfair address reads classic Four Seasons — Art Deco polish, black marble floors, quietly confident service.—
Rooksana Hossenally,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
Other compatible tips are available to purchase, including a tongue scraper and a toothbrush.—
Alexis Berger,
SELF,
23 June 2025
-
At Attari Sandwich Shop, known for its beef tongue sandwich, the pre-revolution Iranian flag hung near the cash register — but none of the diners wanted to give an interview.—
Daniel Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
However, attendees showed no sign of boredom and punctuated her approximately 30-minute oration at City Hall with applause.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2025
-
His deep, resonant bass voice reaches its full potential in the reverend’s moving and emotional final oration.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
Some stems from that, and then some stems from being around Pacific Islanders all day and other Samoans and Hawaiians and different dialects and different slang.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
-
And last summer, Ferrari executives reportedly received WhatsApp voice messages mimicking their CEO’s voice, down to the regional dialect.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speech. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share