Dictionary entry details
• SPEAK (verb)
Meaning:
Express in speech
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
mouth; speak; talk; verbalise; verbalize; utter
Context examples:
She talks a lot of nonsense / This depressed patient does not verbalize
Hypernyms (to "speak" is one way to...):
communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speak"):
sing (produce tones with the voice)
murmur (speak softly or indistinctly)
snivel; whine (talk in a tearful manner)
open up (talk freely and without inhibition)
jaw; rattle on; yack; yack away; yap away (talk incessantly and tiresomely)
chatter (make noise as if chattering away)
blab; blabber; chatter; clack; gabble; gibber; maunder; palaver; piffle; prate; prattle; tattle; tittle-tattle; twaddle (speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly)
generalise; generalize (speak or write in generalities)
deliver; present (deliver (a speech, oration, or idea))
maunder; mumble; mussitate; mutter (talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice)
slur (utter indistinctly)
gulp (utter or make a noise, as when swallowing too quickly)
chant; intone; tone (utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically)
babble (utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way)
cackle (talk or utter in a cackling manner)
hiss; sibilate; siss; sizz (express or utter with a hiss)
jabber; mouth off; rabbit on; rant; rave; spout (talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner)
bay (utter in deep prolonged tones)
bark (speak in an unfriendly tone)
inflect; modulate; tone (vary the pitch of one's speech)
blunder; blunder out; blurt; blurt out; ejaculate (utter impulsively)
rasp (utter in a grating voice)
peep (speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voice)
whisper (speak softly; in a low voice)
shout (utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking))
lip off; shoot one's mouth off (speak spontaneously and without restraint)
begin (begin to speak or say)
troll (speak or recite rapidly or in a rolling voice)
phonate; vocalise; vocalize (utter speech sounds)
read (look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed)
speak up (speak louder; raise one's voice)
snap; snarl (utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone)
enthuse (utter with enthusiasm)
bumble; falter; stammer; stutter (speak haltingly)
drone; drone on (talk in a monotonous voice)
blubber; blubber out (utter while crying)
talk about; talk of (discuss or mention)
whiff (utter with a puff of air)
verbalise; verbalize (be verbose)
swallow (utter indistinctly)
speak in tongues (speak unintelligibly in or as if in religious ecstasy)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Also:
speak up (speak louder; raise one's voice)
Meaning:
Exchange thoughts; talk with
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
talk; speak
Context examples:
We often talk business / Actions talk louder than words
Hypernyms (to "speak" is one way to...):
communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speak"):
talk turkey (discuss frankly, often in a business context)
monologuise; monologuize; soliloquise; soliloquize (talk to oneself)
converse; discourse (carry on a conversation)
butterfly; chat up; coquet; coquette; dally; flirt; mash; philander; romance (talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions)
dish the dirt; gossip (wag one's tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies)
rap (talk volubly)
level (talk frankly with; lay it on the line)
cheek (speak impudently to)
dogmatise; dogmatize (speak dogmatically)
spiel (speak at great length (about something))
talk down (speak in a condescending manner, as if to a child)
orate (talk pompously)
pontificate (talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner)
discourse; dissertate; hold forth (talk at length and formally about a topic)
carry on; continue; go on; proceed (continue talking)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s to somebody
Also:
speak for (be a spokesperson for)
Meaning:
Use language
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
speak; talk
Context examples:
the baby talks already / the prisoner won't speak / they speak a strange dialect
Hypernyms (to "speak" is one way to...):
communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speak"):
slang (use slang or vulgar language)
smatter (speak with spotty or superficial knowledge)
run on (talk or narrate at length)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Sentence example:
Sam and Sue speak
Meaning:
Give a speech to
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
address; speak
Context example:
The chairman addressed the board of trustees
"Speak" entails doing...:
speak; talk (use language)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speak"):
blaze away (speak with fire and passion)
memorialise; memorialize (address in a memorial)
keynote (give the keynote address to (an audience))
harangue (deliver a harangue to; address forcefully)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody
Meaning:
Make a characteristic or natural sound
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Context example:
The drums spoke
Hypernyms (to "speak" is one way to...):
sound (give off a certain sound or sounds)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
