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
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.
Taking a moment, Satter then spoke of Michael directly to a room full also of friends and colleagues of his. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025 But officials became unsettled when news broke that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Cuban American Republican from Florida whom Cuba considers an archenemy, was likely to become the next U.S. secretary of state, sources who asked not to be named to speak of their interactions with Cuban officials, said. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025 Therefore, to speak of narcoterrorism is to speak of something vague and imprecise. Anna Lagos, WIRED, 24 Jan. 2025 Johannes speaks of the downtown space eventually hosting live music performances, the lighting in the venue responding in real time to the musicians. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for speak of 

Dictionary Entries Near speak of

Cite this Entry

“Speak of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speak%20of. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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