speak for
Britishverb
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to speak as a representative of (other people)
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to be so evident that no further comment is necessary
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informal (used as an imperative) do not presume that other people agree with you
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Intercede for, recommend, as in He spoke for the young applicant, commending her honesty . [c. 1300]
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Express the views of, as in I can't speak for my husband but I'd love to accept , or I don't care what Harry thinks—Speak for yourself, Joe . [c. 1300]
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speak for itself . Be significant or self-evident, as in They haven't called us in months, and that speaks for itself . [Second half of 1700s]
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spoken for . Ordered, engaged, or reserved, as in This lot of rugs is already spoken for , or Is this dance spoken for? This usage comes from the older verb, bespeak , meaning “to order.” [Late 1600s]
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.
Words such as "shabby" and "secret schemes" speak for themselves.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
The salon is PS speak for the lounge area for passengers like me who didn’t splurge on one of its suites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
If John F. Kennedy gets to speak for two minutes, then Richard Nixon gets to speak for two minutes.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
"I do think the strength of our case and the fact that we've been very firm in our story throughout does speak volumes and hopefully will speak for itself."
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
I couldn’t speak for a moment—my throat tightened and I was having trouble breathing.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
