definitions

speak up

verb (intr, adverb)

to speak more loudly
to state one's beliefs, objections, etc, bravely and firmly

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RELATED WORDS

assert, declare, insist

Nearby words

speak out of turn, speak softly and carry a big stick, speak the same language, speak to, speak too soon, speak up, speak volumes, speakeasy, speaker, speaker of the house, speakerphone
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with speak up

speak up

1

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.

2

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]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.