Library / English Dictionary

SPEAK UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Speak louder; raise one's voice

Example:

The audience asked the lecturer to please speak up

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "speak up" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue speak up

Sense 2

Meaning:

Express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation

Example:

John spoke up at the meeting

Synonyms:

animadvert; opine; sound off; speak out; speak up

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "speak up" is one way to...):

declare (state emphatically and authoritatively)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "speak up"):

editorialise; editorialize (insert personal opinions into an objective statement)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Credits