speakeasy
Americannoun
plural
speakeasiesnoun
Etymology
Origin of speakeasy
Explanation
During the time of Prohibition, people who wanted an alcoholic drink had to visit a speakeasy, or an illegal bar. In 1920 the United States began a failed experiment in social engineering, referred to today as Prohibition. Good citizens wasted little time in subverting laws banning the sale and consumption of alcohol by frequenting an establishment called the speakeasy — which, according to one slang lexicographer, may have come from a patron's manner of ordering an alcoholic drink without raising suspicion. The word may also be related to "speak softly shop," the nineteenth century Irish term for a smuggler's den.
Vocabulary lists containing speakeasy
Chapter 13, Sections 1–3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Mighty Miss Malone
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Night Owls
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Speakeasy is already looking at options to bring it Palm Springs or elsewhere, and is thinking of seasonal menus in the hopes that audiences may come back a second time.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025
Oya Baby March 13 at the Speakeasy Kabaret 10:50-11:05 p.m.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2025
Speakeasy slang, like “Cheese it!” and “Move those getaway sticks!” found their way into the dialogue.
From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2023
As a student at Montclair High School, he started a fashion club and became more familiar with the vintage-fashion business from working at Speakeasy Vintage, a boutique in Montclair that is now closed.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2022
In San Francisco I saw many people who had met Gilbert including a journalist who took him to a "bootleg joint"—which is Western for a Speakeasy.
From Gilbert Keith Chesterton by Ward, Maisie
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.
