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
Fathers spoke of feeling abandoned by the government and the difficulties of getting help.
—
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
After the 1917 Revolution, Lenin spoke of the necessity for science as part of the Bolshevik cause yet placed it under state control.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Tesla’s board, in its proxy statement last week, spoke of the importance of keeping Musk focused on Tesla going forward.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
With no oceans to speak of, all that carbon dioxide could not be reabsorbed.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak of
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Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
After the 1917 Revolution, Lenin spoke of the necessity for science as part of the Bolshevik cause yet placed it under state control.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Tesla’s board, in its proxy statement last week, spoke of the importance of keeping Musk focused on Tesla going forward.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
With no oceans to speak of, all that carbon dioxide could not be reabsorbed.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2025.
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