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speak
1[speek]
verb (used without object)
to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice; talk.
He was too ill to speak.
to communicate vocally; mention.
to speak to a person about various matters.
to converse.
She spoke with him for an hour.
to deliver an address, discourse, etc..
to speak at a meeting.
to make a statement in written or printed words.
to communicate, signify, or disclose something by any means; convey significance.
The voters have spoken loud and clear.
Phonetics.to produce sounds or audible sequences of individual or concatenated sounds of a language, especially through phonation, amplification, and resonance, and through any of a variety of articulatory processes.
(of a computer) to express data or other information audibly by means of an audio response unit.
to emit a sound, as a musical instrument; make a noise or report.
Chiefly British.(of dogs) to bark when ordered.
Fox Hunting.(of a hound or pack) to bay on finding a scent.
verb (used with object)
to utter vocally and articulately.
to speak words of praise.
Synonyms: ,to express or make known with the voice.
to speak the truth.
Synonyms:to declare in writing or printing, or by any means of communication.
to make known, indicate, or reveal.
Synonyms:to use, or be able to use, in oral utterance, as a language.
to speak French.
(of a computer) to express or make known (data, prompts, etc.) by means of an audio response unit.
Nautical.to communicate with (a passing vessel) at sea, as by voice or signal.
We spoke a whaler on the fourth day at sea.
Archaic.to speak to or with.
verb phrase
to express one's opinion openly and unreservedly.
He was not afraid to speak out when it was something he believed in strongly.
to intercede for or recommend; speak in behalf of.
to express or articulate the views of; represent.
to choose or prefer; have reserved for oneself.
This item is already spoken for.
to address or respond to, as in speech or action.
The legislature must speak to the issue of gun violence.
to be appealing or relevant to.
His music speaks to me on a very deep level.
to provide evidence for.
Our company’s rapid growth speaks to the passion and commitment of our employees.
-speak
2a combining form extracted from newspeak (coined by George Orwell in his novel,1984 ), used in the formation of compound words, usually derogatory, derisive, or facetious, that denote the style or vocabulary of a discipline, person, era, etc., as specified by the initial element.
techspeak; artspeak; nukespeak; leetspeak; geek-speak.
speak
1/ 辱ː /
verb
to make (verbal utterances); utter (words)
to communicate or express (something) in or as if in words
I speak the truth
(intr) to deliver a speech, discourse, etc
(tr) to know how to talk in (a language or dialect)
he does not speak German
(intr) to make a characteristic sound
the clock spoke
(intr) (of dogs, esp hounds used in hunting) to give tongue; bark
(tr) nautical to hail and converse or communicate with (another vessel) at sea
(intr) (of a musical instrument) to produce a sound
to be a representative or advocate (of)
he speaks for all the members
on good terms; friendly
in a manner of speaking; as it were
to express one's opinions frankly and plainly
of a significant or worthwhile nature
we have had no support to speak of
-speak
2suffix
informalthe language or jargon of a specific group, organization, or field
computerspeak
Other Word Forms
- speakable adjective
- speakableness noun
- speakably adverb
- ˈ첹 adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of speak1
Word History and Origins
Origin of speak1
Origin of speak2
Idioms and Phrases
speak well for, to be an indication or reflection of (something commendable); testify admirably to.
Her manners speak well for her upbringing.
to speak of, worth mentioning.
The country has no mineral resources to speak of.
so to speak, to use a manner of speaking; figuratively speaking.
We still don't have our heads above water, so to speak.
speak by the book, to say with great authority or precision.
I can't speak by the book, but I know this is wrong.
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
“It’s really emotional, a special moment to hit a home run in that situation because I haven’t seen him,” Pages said through an interpreter, speaking about his father back in Cuba.
There are currently two bilateral meetings on his schedule, according to US officials, though there no details on whom he is speaking with.
That is the word most people who have spoken to the BBC use to describe life in Iran right now.
“It was the worst experience I ever felt,” Gavidia said, his voice shaking with anger as he spoke from the business Friday.
Incensed by what he saw as the government’s failure to fulfill its promise to arrest and deport immigrants in the country illegally, he “eviscerated everyone,” according to one official who spoke to the Washington Examiner.
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When To Use
Speak means to talk, to give a lecture or speech, or to use your voice to say something. The word speak has many other senses as a verb and is used in several idioms.Speak is a synonym of talk and means to use words and sounds to communicate. When humans speak with each other, we use language governed by rules to understand each other.Some birds, such as parrots and ravens, are able to imitate human voices. While they don’t actually understand the words they use, we still say these animals are able to speak.
- Real-life examples: It is very unlikely that you never speak to people. Some people use sign language to communicate because they are unable to speak. If you have a cold or sore throat, it is harder to speak.
- Used in a sentence: My throat hurts, so I am having trouble speaking.
- Used in a sentence: I was in the audience when the president spoke at our college.
- Real-life examples: Witnesses at trials are expected to speak the truth. In the past, in many countries it was often dangerous to speak against God or the country’s religion. People from France speak French.
- Used in a sentence: I knew the right answer, but I was too nervous to speak the words.
When To Use
The combining form -speak is used like a suffix meaning “a way of talking” or "a variety of language." Often, it has a derogatory, or negative, connotation. It is occasionally used in a variety of informal or slang terms.The form -speak is derived from the word newspeak, from George Orwell's book 1984 (1949). Newspeak is the term Orwell coined to describe the way official language often "say[s] one thing in the guise of its opposite, especially in order to serve a political or ideological cause while pretending to be objective." Put simply, it is language used for propaganda, such as describing a forced labor camp as a "joycamp."
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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