bespeak
Americanverb (used with object)
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to ask for in advance.
to bespeak the reader's patience.
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to reserve beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for.
to bespeak a seat in a theater.
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Literary. to speak to; address.
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to show; indicate.
This bespeaks a kindly heart.
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Obsolete. to foretell; forebode.
verb
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to engage, request, or ask for in advance
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to indicate or suggest
this act bespeaks kindness
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poetic to speak to; address
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archaic to foretell
Etymology
Origin of bespeak
before 900; Middle English bespeken, Old English besprecan. See be-, speak
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.
“It bespeaks a really, really big misunderstanding,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times
“There’s going to be some pressure on Gov. Hochul, as there was on me, to kind of restore the values and to restore the conduct and the decorum that bespeaks a governor,” Paterson said.
From Seattle Times
The magical score, discerning libretto and enchanting production do not specifically bespeak timeliness or autobiography.
From Los Angeles Times
They’ve made a choice that bespeaks surpassing cruelty and ignorance, and no condemnation can be severe enough.
From Los Angeles Times
Cards like these bespeak a kind of generic authority, giving us little reason to question their veracity, yet question them we must.
From Salon
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.
