单词 | speak |
释义 | speak —speak /spiːk/ verb (spoke, spoken) (SAY WORDS) ↑Verb Endings for speak A1 [I or T] to say words, to use the voice, or to have a conversation with someone: » Would you mind speaking more slowly, please?» MAINLY UK "Can I speak to Ian please?"» MAINLY US "Can I speak with Ian please?"» "Speaking." (= This is Ian.)» If he tells Julie what I said, I'll never speak to him again.» FORMAL She spoke of her sadness over her father's death.» She speaks very highly of (= says good things about) the new director.» I can certainly come but I can't speak for my wife (= I can't tell you whether she can or not).» FORMAL Who is going to speak for (= represent in a court of law) the accused?» He's old enough to speak for himself (= to say what he thinks).» I went with Ava - speaking of (= on the subject of) Ava, have you seen her new haircut?» We've been invited to Rachel and Jamie's wedding - speaking of which, did you know that they're moving to Ealing?» Speaking as (= with my experience as) a mother of four, I can tell you that children are exhausting.» Sue speaks with an American accent.» Why are you speaking in a whisper (= very quietly)?» For five whole minutes, neither of them spoke a word (= they both said nothing).Thesaurus+: ↑Saying and uttering , ↑Saying againbroadly, historically, strictly, etc. speakingB2 talking from a particular point of view: » Historically speaking, the island is of great interest.» Generally speaking, it's quite a good school.» Strictly speaking (= if I behave according to the rules), I should report it to the police.Thesaurus+: ↑Lecturing and addressingspeak to sbF0 to tell someone that they have done something wrong: » The manager promised that she would speak to the person responsible.Thesaurus+: ↑Chastising and rebukingWord Builder:–Nouns: speaker, speech–Adjectives: unspeakable, speechless, outspoken, unspoken–Verbs: speak–Adverbs: unspeakably• • • Extra Examples:» Choking back my anger, I tried to speak calmly.» She cleared her throat nervously before she began to speak.» Can I speak to you confidentially?» "Can I speak to Isobel, please?" "She's still in bed. I'll just go and see if she's conscious yet."» It is considered bad manners in some cultures to speak with your mouth full of food.Common mistake: speak or talk?! Warning: choose the correct verb!! To talk about two people or a group of people having a conversation, the most usual verb is talk:✗ They spoke all night about their memories.» They talked all night about their memories.verb [I + adv/prep, T] (spoke, spoken) LITERARY (SUGGEST) ↑Verb Endings for speak ► F0 to show or express something without using words: » She was silent, but her eyes spoke her real feelings for him.» The whole robbery spoke of (= made it seem that there had been) inside knowledge on the part of the criminals.Thesaurus+: ↑Showing and demonstratingWord Builder:–Nouns: speaker, speech–Adjectives: unspeakable, speechless, outspoken, unspoken–Verbs: speak–Adverbs: unspeakablyverb [I] (spoke, spoken) (FORMAL TALK) ↑Verb Endings for speak ► B2 to give a formal talk to a group of people: » Who is speaking in the debate tonight?» The Queen speaks to the nation on television every Christmas.» Janet is speaking for the motion (= trying to persuade the people listening that the idea is good) and Peter is speaking against (it) (= trying to persuade them that it is bad).Thesaurus+: ↑Lecturing and addressingWord Builder:–Nouns: speaker, speech–Adjectives: unspeakable, speechless, outspoken, unspoken–Verbs: speak–Adverbs: unspeakably• • • Extra Examples:» The audience clapped and cheered when she stood up to speak.» I've deputed Lara Brown to speak for me at the conference.» They invited her to speak especially because of her experience in inner cities.» There was loud jeering from the opposition parties when the prime minister stood up to speak.» He didn't want to be involved in the organization of the conference, although he was willing to attend and speak.verb [T] (spoke, spoken) (LANGUAGE) ↑Verb Endings for speak ► A1 to (be able to) talk in a language: » He speaks fluent French.» How many foreign languages do you speak?» I couldn't speak a word of (= I did not know any) Spanish when I got there.» I couldn't work out what language they were speaking.Thesaurus+: ↑Using other languagesWord Builder:–Nouns: speaker, speech–Adjectives: unspeakable, speechless, outspoken, unspoken–Verbs: speak–Adverbs: unspeakably• • • Extra Examples:» Unable to speak a word of the language, he communicated with his hands.» They speak a language akin to French.» Do you speak English?» I'd like to speak English fluently.» Do you speak Swedish ? |
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