- 1[intransitive] to talk to someone about something; to have a conversation with someone speak (to somebody) (about something/somebody) I've spoken to the manager about it. The President refused to speak to the waiting journalists. “Can I speak to Susan?” “Speaking.” (= at the beginning of a telephone conversation) “Do you know him?” “Not to speak to.” (= only by sight) speak (with somebody) (about something/somebody) Can I speak with you for a minute? I saw her in the street but we didn't speak. Thesaurustalk
- discuss
- speak
- communicate
- debate
- consult
- talk to speak in order to give information, express feelings, or share ideas:We talked on the phone for over an hour.
- discuss (somewhat formal) to talk and share ideas on a subject or problem with other people, especially in order to decide something:Have you discussed the problem with anyone? You cannot say “discuss about something”:I'm not prepared to discuss about this on the phone.
- speak to talk to someone about something; to have a conversation with someone:I've spoken to the manager about it. “Can I speak with Susan?” “Speaking.” (= at the beginning of a telephone conversation)
- Speak can suggest a more formal level of communication than talk. You speak to or with someone about something to try to achieve a particular goal or to tell them to do something. You talk to or with someone in order to be friendly or to ask their advice:Have you talked to your parents about the problems you're having? I've spoken to Ed about it and he's promised not to let it happen again.
- communicate (somewhat formal) to exchange information or ideas with someone:We only communicate by e-mail. Dolphins use sound to communicate with each other. Communicate is often used when the speaker wants to draw attention to the means of communication used.
- debate to discuss something, especially formally, before making a decision or finding a solution:Politicians will be debating the bill later this week.
- consult (somewhat formal) to discuss something with someone in order to get their permission for something, or to help you make a decision:You shouldn't have changed your plans without consulting me.
- to talk/discuss something/speak/communicate/debate/consult with somebody
- to talk/speak to somebody
- to talk to somebody/speak to somebody/consult somebody about something
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use voice - 2[intransitive] to use your voice to say something He can't speak because of a throat infection. Please speak more slowly. Without speaking, she stood up and went out. He speaks with a strange accent. She has a beautiful speaking voice.
- 3[intransitive] speak of/about something/somebody to mention or describe something or someone She still speaks about him with great affection. Witnesses spoke of a great ball of flame. Speaking of traveling (= referring back to a subject just mentioned), are you going anywhere exciting this year? The brochure speaks of beautiful secluded grounds. Thesaurusmention
- refer to somebody/something
- speak of/about somebody/something
- cite
- quote
- mention to write or speak about someone or something, especially without giving much information:Nobody mentioned anything to me about the party.
- refer to somebody/something (somewhat formal) to mention or speak about someone or something:I promised not to refer to the matter again.
- speak of/about somebody/something to mention or describe someone or something:Witnesses spoke of a great ball of flame.
- cite (formal) to mention something as a reason or an example, or in order to support what you are saying:She cited her heavy workload as the reason for her breakdown.
- quote to mention an example of something to support what you are saying:Can you quote me an instance of this happening?
- You can cite reasons or examples, but you can only quote examples:She quoted her heavy workload as the reason for her breakdown.Cite is a more formal word than quote and is often used in more formal situations, for example in descriptions of legal cases.
- to mention/refer to/speak of/cite/quote somebody/something as somebody/something
- to mention/refer to/cite/quote a(n) example/instance/case of something
- frequently/often mentioned/referred to/spoken of/cited/quoted
- the example mentioned/referred to/cited/quoted above/earlier/previously
a language - 4[transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) speak something to be able to use a particular language to speak several languages to speak a little Urdu Do you speak English?
- 5[transitive, intransitive] to use a particular language to express yourself speak something What language is it they're speaking? speak in something Would you prefer it if we spoke in German? -speaking
- 6(in adjectives) speaking the language mentioned French-speaking Canada non-English-speaking students make speech
- 7[intransitive] (+ adv./prep.) to make a speech to an audience to speak in public to speak on the radio to speak at a conference Professor Wilson was invited to speak about the results of his research. She spoke in favor of the new tax. He has a number of speaking engagements this week.
- 8[transitive] speak something to say or state something She was clearly speaking the truth. He spoke the final words of the play. speak verbspeaker nounspeech nounspoken adjective (≠unspoken)speak verbspeaker nounspeech nounspoken adjective (≠unspoken)Idioms
- Women generally earn less than men.
- Generally speaking, jobs traditionally done by women are paid at a lower rate than those traditionally done by men.
- In general/By and large, women do not earn as much as men.
- Certain jobs, like nursing and cleaning, are still mainly carried out by women.
- Senior management posts are held predominantly by men.
- Most senior management posts tend to be held by men.
- Women are, for the most part, still paid less than men.
- Economic and social factors are, to a large extent, responsible for women being concentrated in low-paid jobs.
verb jump to other results
NAmE//spik//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they speak he / she / it speaks
past simple spoke
past participle spoken
-ing form speaking
what a person actually does means more than what they say they will do
to be willing to be polite or friendly toward someone, especially after an argument She hasn't been on speaking terms with her uncle for years. Are they speaking to each other again yet?
it is not necessary to give any further explanation about something because the information that is available already proves that it is true
used to show that what you are saying is true in a general, etc. way Generally speaking, the more you pay, the more you get. There are, broadly speaking, two ways of doing this. Personally speaking, I've always preferred Italian food. Language Bankgenerallyways of saying “in general”
if you think about it in a particular way; true in some but not all ways All these points of view are related, in a manner of speaking.
such a small amount that it is not worth mentioning They have no friends to speak of. She's saved a little money but nothing to speak of.
used to emphasize that you are expressing something in an unusual or amusing way They were all very similar. All cut from the same cloth, so to speak.
to be so easy to see and understand that you do not need to say anything else about it/them Her success speaks for itself. Recent events speak for themselves.
to express what you think or want yourself, rather than someone else doing it for you I'm quite capable of speaking for myself, thank you!
used to tell someone that a general statement they have just made is not true of you “We didn't play very well.” “Speak for yourself!” (= I think that I played well.)
to say or think bad things about someone Don't speak ill of the dead.
used to say that you are the type of person mentioned and are expressing your opinion from that point of view Speaking as a parent, I'm very concerned about standards in education.
to say exactly what you think, in a very direct way She's never hesitated about speaking her mind.
people say speak/talk of the devil when someone they have been talking about appears unexpectedly Well, speak of the devil—here's Alice now!
to say something when you should not, for example because it is not the right time or you are not the right person to say it
to say something that you should not because it is the wrong situation or because it offends someone
to be able to communicate easily with another person because you share similar opinions and experience
to tell you a lot about something or someone, without the need for words His achievement speaks volumes for his determination. What you wear speaks volumes about you.
to say good or bad things about someone She never speaks ill of anyone.
if you are using words or rules in their exact or correct sense Strictly speaking, the book is not a novel, but a short story. Using the word in that context is not, strictly speaking, correct. Phrasal Verbsspeak forspeak ofspeak outspeak tospeak up
Check pronunciation: speak