speaking
Americannoun
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the act, utterance, or discourse of a person who speaks.
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speakings, literary works composed for recitation, as ancient bardic poetry; oral literature.
adjective
idioms
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not on speaking terms, not or no longer in a relationship of open, willing, or ready communication, as because of resentment or estrangement.
They had a squabble during the holidays, and now they're not on speaking terms.
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on speaking terms,
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in a relationship close enough for or limited to friendly superficialities.
I don't know the hosts well, but we are certainly on speaking terms.
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in a relationship of open, willing, or ready communication.
Now that the debt has been settled, I hope you and your partner are on speaking terms again.
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adjective
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(prenominal) eloquent, impressive, or striking
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able to speak
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(in combination) able to speak a particular language
French-speaking
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Other Word Forms
- nonspeaking adjective
- speakingly adverb
- speakingness noun
- well-speaking adjective
Etymology
Origin of speaking
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; speak, -ing 1, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In another photo, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, appears to be speaking to those in attendance.
From Barron's
Generally speaking, I don’t think HR is always the most helpful arm of any company, as it is designed to protect the company.
From MarketWatch
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, speaking at Cactus League media day earlier this month, said the fixation on the money spent makes people miss the things they do well.
From Los Angeles Times
Its denizens are mostly nameless, speaking only when spoken to—props in the psychological drama of four young protagonists.
She added she had no problem with homes going to Welsh speaking families "if they could get enough people who are Welsh speaking".
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
