speaking 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of speakingnext
as in talking

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Dissimilar Words

speaking

2 of 3

noun

as in communication

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Dissimilar Words

speaking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of speak
1
as in saying
to express (a thought or emotion) in words finally spoke her fears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lecturing
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject the Mayanists have been invited to speak about their latest archaeological discoveries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of speaking
Adjective
After losing his natural speaking voice, Kilmer turned to an AI software company to digital recreate his voice. — Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026 Each is distinct and immersively imagined by author Woody Brown, himself a non-speaking person. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
Overall, the sequel’s best strength was in English speaking markets. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026 Vance had the marquee speaking slot, but Trump reclaimed the stage immediately afterward for his second speech in a two-night convention. — Averi Harper, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
Pike is conscious and speaking one week after surviving two ostensibly lethal doses of pentobarbital, her attorneys said. — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 Disney+ also will stream the Big Game in more than 55 international markets, including Spanish-speaking Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean, South Africa and Australia/New Zealand. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speaking
  1. communicative
  2. talking
  3. saying
  4. lecturing
  5. articulate
  6. uttering
  7. telling
  8. discussing
Adjective
  • Through the administration’s embrace (and extensive personal leveraging) of crypto’s potential, crypto and retail speculation are increasingly being woven into the fabric of communicative and cultural spaces.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The arrival ceremony suggested that others understood the communicative potential of clothes at such an event, too.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of communicative
Noun
  • In both cases, the media played a critical role in shaping public opinion by framing, by omission, by repetition of official talking points, and by an overall failure to include dissenting voices or the perspectives of those most impacted.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Ongoing industry consolidation was a key talking point, with independent eyewear makers doubling down on consumer-facing initiatives and high-end product to knock home their singularity.
    — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of talking
Verb
  • Carmella is also still mad at Vicki for saying that Danny is raising her kids, and Heather is angry after learning that Vicki called her fake in Palm Springs.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In 2013 the agency issued a rule saying the exclusion should apply only when an orphan drug is actually used for the rare condition it was designated for.
    — John Mildenberger, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of saying
Verb
  • For decades, Zinn traveled the country lecturing to packed auditoriums.
    — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The bald guy lecturing me on how to get the money looked real enough, but the question of his true being kept rattling around my increasingly paranoid mind.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of lecturing
Adjective
  • The most persuasive passages in The Radiance occur when its articulate narrator cannot quite tell us what happened to him.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Al Mubarak was an elegant, articulate embodiment of a project many saw as an extension of Abu Dhabi soft power as much as a sheikh’s personal investment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of articulate
Verb
  • Brennaman was off the air for four years after uttering a homophobic slur on a live microphone during a Cincinnati Reds game.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.
    — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
Definition of uttering
Verb
  • The Salem witch trials of 1692 carved out an enduring and powerful niche in American history for this little town, and this intimate, kitschy museum does an excellent job telling the story.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The discovery is the latest instance of CDE leadership telling employees bedbugs are not in the building, only for more to be discovered at a later date and igniting doubt among CDE’s workforce on whether treatment is effective.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of telling
Verb
  • The speed of strategic change is creating acquisition needs across industries, and boards are discussing those needs before attractive targets come to market.
    — Rusty Wiley, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • What broke through with audiences was some of the more divisive characters discussing their public perception and confronting narratives that have surrounded them.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of discussing

Phrases Containing speaking

Browse Nearby Words

speak (for)
speaking
speaking (about)
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Cite this Entry

“Speaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speaking. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on speaking

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speaking

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