speak
verb (used without object)
to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice; talk.
was speaking
-
past progressiveof speak.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
I was speaking on my chunky cellphone with a client about Alan Greenspan’s “irrational exuberance” speech, reassuring him that equities were still a good investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
He was speaking from the shaded courtyard garden of his Mayer am Pfarrplatz heuriger, down the steps from the room where Beethoven stayed while composing part of the Ninth Symphony.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Hiddleston was actually on a set in Atlanta, but there he was speaking Latin and revisiting his own past.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Tusk was speaking on the anniversary of what Poland calls the "massacre" in Volyn, the then German-occupied part of Poland, now in Ukraine.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
He could clearly make out words now—a woman was speaking to someone, her voice resonating with power, much like Merriweather’s had.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
