forspeak

transitive verb

for·​speak

fə(r)ˈspēk

1

now dialectal British : to cast a bad spell over : bewitch especially by immoderate praise

don't boast about the child, lest you forspeak him

2

obsolete : to speak against : asperse

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forspeken to cast a bad spell over, speak evil of, from Old English forspecan, forsprecan to speak in vain, deny, denounce, from for- + specan, sprecan to speak

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!