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
Within the community, advocates speak of the economic impact of an NFL team in Tampa.
—
Adam Crafton, New York Times, 13 May 2025
In making the announcement about Memory of a Killer pickup, Michael Thorn, President of Fox Television Network, spoke of the lead character Dempsey will be playing.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2025
The pair repeatedly referred to Russia’s GRU military intelligence and other security services, and discussed plans to supply drones to Russia and weapons to Cameroon, as well as speaking of their admiration for Elon Musk.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
As of publication, the cousin Ye spoke of has not been discovered.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak of
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.
Adam Crafton, New York Times, 13 May 2025
In making the announcement about Memory of a Killer pickup, Michael Thorn, President of Fox Television Network, spoke of the lead character Dempsey will be playing.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2025
The pair repeatedly referred to Russia’s GRU military intelligence and other security services, and discussed plans to supply drones to Russia and weapons to Cameroon, as well as speaking of their admiration for Elon Musk.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
As of publication, the cousin Ye spoke of has not been discovered.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 9 May 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 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share