speak up
Britishverb
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to speak more loudly
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to state one's beliefs, objections, etc, bravely and firmly
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Also, speak out . Talk loudly, so as to be heard, as in Speak up, child, I can't hear you , or He should speak out so that those in back can hear him . The first term dates from the early 1700s, the variant from the early 1500s.
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Also, speak up for . Express one's opinion or one's support for someone or something. For example, When it comes to speaking up about the town's needs, you can rely on Mary , or I'm glad you spoke up for me in that meeting . [c. 1700]
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.
As soon as confusion sets in, speak up.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
But instead of the conversation focusing on consent, this generation of parents appears to be expanding it to teaching young boys to be willing to speak up.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
“Making the decision to speak up will have me looking over my shoulder for years to come,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
He posted Tuesday that "artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed."
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
One day he’d speak up for himself when he saw everyone else flying an airplane except him.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
