Dictionary entry details
• SPECULATE (verb)
Meaning:
To believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
Classified under:
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting
Synonyms:
theorize; theorise; speculate; hypothesize; hypothesise; conjecture; hypothecate; suppose
Context example:
Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps
Hypernyms (to "speculate" is one way to...):
anticipate; expect (regard something as probable or likely)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speculate"):
construct; reconstruct; retrace (reassemble mentally)
develop; explicate; formulate (elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Sentence example:
They speculate that there was a traffic accident
Meaning:
Talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Context example:
We were speculating whether the President had to resign after the scandal
Hypernyms (to "speculate" is one way to...):
reason (think logically)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speculate"):
guess; hazard; pretend; venture (put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation)
say; suppose (express a supposition)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Meaning:
Reflect deeply on a subject
Classified under:
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting
Synonyms:
chew over; think over; ponder; muse; mull over; mull; meditate; excogitate; ruminate; speculate; reflect; contemplate
Context examples:
I mulled over the events of the afternoon / philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years / The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate
Hypernyms (to "speculate" is one way to...):
cerebrate; cogitate; think (use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speculate"):
premeditate (think or reflect beforehand or in advance)
consider; study (give careful consideration to)
puzzle (be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide)
question; wonder (place in doubt or express doubtful speculation)
cogitate (consider carefully and deeply; reflect upon; turn over in one's mind)
bethink (consider or ponder something carefully)
introspect (reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings)
theologise; theologize (make theoretical speculations about theology or discuss theological subjects)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Invest at a risk
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Synonyms:
job; speculate
Context example:
I bought this house not because I want to live in it but to sell it later at a good price, so I am speculating
Hypernyms (to "speculate" is one way to...):
commit; invest; place; put (make an investment)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speculate"):
bull (try to raise the price of stocks through speculative buying)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
