speaking 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of speakingnext
as in talking

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Dissimilar Words

speaking

2 of 3

noun

as in communication

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Dissimilar Words

speaking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of speak
1
as in saying
to express (a thought or emotion) in words finally spoke her fears

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lecturing
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject the Mayanists have been invited to speak about their latest archaeological discoveries

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 speaking
Adjective
After losing his natural speaking voice, Kilmer turned to an AI software company to digital recreate his voice. — Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026 Each is distinct and immersively imagined by author Woody Brown, himself a non-speaking person. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
There, students spend two hours per day on core subjects with an AI tutor before devoting their afternoons to workshops designed to hone skills like public speaking and relationship building. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026 With Vance taking the primetime speaking slot just ahead of the president, the convention is also teeing up a potential post-Trump future. — Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
Bang was speaking at the IberSeries industry confab in Madrid. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026 Allen has maintained his Duke roots, getting back to Durham most summers and speaking about once a month with his former coach, Mike Krzyzewski. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speaking
  1. communicative
  2. talking
  3. saying
  4. lecturing
  5. articulate
  6. uttering
  7. telling
  8. discussing
Adjective
  • Through the administration’s embrace (and extensive personal leveraging) of crypto’s potential, crypto and retail speculation are increasingly being woven into the fabric of communicative and cultural spaces.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The arrival ceremony suggested that others understood the communicative potential of clothes at such an event, too.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of communicative
Noun
  • Following the operation, Dasha will be on complete vocal rest — absolutely no talking allowed — for two weeks, then will begin vocal rehab to learn how to talk and sing properly a few weeks later.
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The positive talking point will be that the defense still held the Dolphins to 10 points, but I was left questioning what a better quarterback and team might be capable of.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of talking
Verb
  • Carmella is also still mad at Vicki for saying that Danny is raising her kids, and Heather is angry after learning that Vicki called her fake in Palm Springs.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In 2013 the agency issued a rule saying the exclusion should apply only when an orphan drug is actually used for the rare condition it was designated for.
    — John Mildenberger, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of saying
Verb
  • The bald guy lecturing me on how to get the money looked real enough, but the question of his true being kept rattling around my increasingly paranoid mind.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Especially for him in the same interview to be lecturing my party on democracy and norms.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of lecturing
Adjective
  • The most persuasive passages in The Radiance occur when its articulate narrator cannot quite tell us what happened to him.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Al Mubarak was an elegant, articulate embodiment of a project many saw as an extension of Abu Dhabi soft power as much as a sheikh’s personal investment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of articulate
Verb
  • Brennaman was off the air for four years after uttering a homophobic slur on a live microphone during a Cincinnati Reds game.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.
    — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
Definition of uttering
Verb
  • The Salem witch trials of 1692 carved out an enduring and powerful niche in American history for this little town, and this intimate, kitschy museum does an excellent job telling the story.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The discovery is the latest instance of CDE leadership telling employees bedbugs are not in the building, only for more to be discovered at a later date and igniting doubt among CDE’s workforce on whether treatment is effective.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of telling
Verb
  • The speed of strategic change is creating acquisition needs across industries, and boards are discussing those needs before attractive targets come to market.
    — Rusty Wiley, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • What broke through with audiences was some of the more divisive characters discussing their public perception and confronting narratives that have surrounded them.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of discussing

Phrases Containing speaking

Browse Nearby Words

speak (for)
speaking
speaking (about)
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Cite this Entry

“Speaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speaking. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on speaking

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speaking

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