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.
In February, the BBC heard from senior managers who said they personally had felt intimidated and afraid to speak up in front of the most senior executives.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Who hasn’t experienced the frustration of having to speak up and make themselves heard in a world where corporate entities deprioritize human beings?
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
Team USA athlete Rich Ruohonen didn’t shrink from his Olympic moment—nor from his chance to speak up for Minnesota.
From Slate • Feb. 27, 2026
While speaking to the press after the Grammys, she raved about how lucky we are to have a musical leader like Bad Bunny speak up for “what is true and what is right.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026
He was just going to speak up when Acorn saved him the trouble.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
