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Antonyms for speaking


Grammar : Adj
Spell : spee-king
Phonetic Transcription : ˈspi kɪŋ



Definition of speaking

Origin :
  • Old English specan, variant of sprecan "to speak" (class V strong verb; past tense spræc, past participle sprecen), from Proto-Germanic *sprekanan (cf. Old Saxon sprecan, Old Frisian spreka, Middle Dutch spreken, Old High German sprehhan, German sprechen "to speak," Old Norse spraki "rumor, report"), cognate with Latin spargere "to strew" (speech as a "scattering" of words; see sparse).
  • The -r- began to drop out in Late West Saxon and was gone by mid-12c., perhaps from influence of Danish spage "crackle," in a slang sense of "speak" (cf. crack in slang senses having to do with speech, e.g. wisecrack, cracker, all it's cracked up to be). Rare variant forms without -r- also are found in Middle Dutch (speken) and Old High German (spehhan).
  • Not the primary word for "to speak" in Old English (the "Beowulf" author prefers maþelian, from mæþel "assembly, council," from root of metan "to meet;" cf. Greek agoreuo "to speak," originally "speak in the assembly," from agora "assembly").
  • adj talking
  • adj expressive
Example sentences :
  • Some of these bright beings are speaking, and others are silent.
  • Extract from : « Philothea » by Lydia Maria Child
  • I have more than once tried to deceive you, but you will feel that I am not now speaking falsely.
  • Extract from : « Philothea » by Lydia Maria Child
  • She heard him speaking in a voice not louder than a whisper, rapid, distinct.
  • Extract from : « Way of the Lawless » by Max Brand
  • I have used the words "they" and "their" in speaking of these heroes.
  • Extract from : « United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches » by Various
  • "Yes," said Dick, staring in front of him and speaking in a dull, even voice.
  • Extract from : « Viviette » by William J. Locke
  • I am not speaking pantheistically here, any more than when I spoke of light.
  • Extract from : « The Conquest of Fear » by Basil King
  • Neither am I speaking theoretically, as I have tried to make plain.
  • Extract from : « The Conquest of Fear » by Basil King
  • I am speaking for the moment only of the degree to which the testing comes.
  • Extract from : « The Conquest of Fear » by Basil King
  • Hester rose and left the room, indignant with him for speaking so of his father.
  • Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald
  • "Because I was a coward," answered Corney, speaking the truth with courage.
  • Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald

Synonyms for speaking

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019