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
While the islands have no permanent residents or exports to speak of, they were still included in Trump's sweeping new trade agenda, which has drawn confusion from reporters and condemnation from world leaders.
—
Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Other experts speak of cooties in more anthropological terms.
—Bruce Handy, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
Families spoke of fleeing through gunfire and of their homes being burned down.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
The images speak of a dramatic enforcement blitz and a stark turnaround at the border, though the number of crossings had been dropping before Mr. Trump took office.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for speak of
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Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Other experts speak of cooties in more anthropological terms.
—Bruce Handy, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
Families spoke of fleeing through gunfire and of their homes being burned down.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
The images speak of a dramatic enforcement blitz and a stark turnaround at the border, though the number of crossings had been dropping before Mr. Trump took office.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 5 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 2025.
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