bespeak
(redirected from bespeaks)Also found in: Thesaurus.
Related to bespeaks: befuddlement, bothering
be·speak
(bĭ-spēk′)tr.v. be·spoke (-spōk′), be·spo·ken (-spō′kən) or be·spoke, be·speak·ing, be·speaks
1.
a. To be or give a sign of; indicate: "Their impeccable coiffures bespoke a recent trip to the beauty parlor" (Daniel B. Silver). See Synonyms at indicate.
b. To foretell; portend: "He salutes them with a stricken look, as if their arrival bespeaks doom for him" (Edna O'Brien).
2.
a. To engage, hire, or order in advance: "Some of the volumes that she had just bespoken the bookseller was to send to foreign countries" (Henry James). See Synonyms at book1.
b. To request: bespeak a favor.
3. Archaic To speak to; address.
[Middle English bispeken, to speak out, from Old English besprecan, to speak about.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bespeak
(bɪˈspiːk)vb (tr) , -speaks, -speaking, -spoke, -spoken or -spoke
1. to engage, request, or ask for in advance
2. to indicate or suggest: this act bespeaks kindness.
3. poetic to speak to; address
4. archaic to foretell
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
be•speak
(bɪˈspik)v.t. -spoke, -spo•ken -spoke, -speak•ing.
1. to ask for in advance; request.
2. to reserve beforehand: to bespeak a seat in a theater.
3. to speak to formally; address.
4. to show; indicate: This bespeaks a kindly heart.
5. to foretell.
[before 900]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
bespeak
Past participle: bespoken
Gerund: bespeaking
| Imperative |
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| bespeak |
| bespeak |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Verb | 1. |  bespeak - be a signal for or a symptom of; "These symptoms indicate a serious illness"; "Her behavior points to a severe neurosis"; "The economic indicators signal that the euro is undervalued"augur, auspicate, bode, omen, portend, foreshadow, presage, prognosticate, predict, prefigure, betoken, forecast, foretell - indicate by signs; "These signs bode bad news" mark - designate as if by a mark; "This sign marks the border" tell - let something be known; "Tell them that you will be late" |
| 2. | bespeak - express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service" communicate, pass along, put across, pass on, pass - transmit information ; "Please communicate this message to all employees"; "pass along the good news" order - make a request for something; "Order me some flowers"; "order a work stoppage" ask - make a request or demand for something to somebody; "She asked him for a loan" encore - request an encore, from a performer petition - write a petition for something to somebody; request formally and in writing demand - request urgently and forcefully; "The victim's family is demanding compensation"; "The boss demanded that he be fired immediately"; "She demanded to see the manager" appeal, invoke - request earnestly (something from somebody); ask for aid or protection; "appeal to somebody for help"; "Invoke God in times of trouble" supplicate - ask for humbly or earnestly, as in prayer; "supplicate God's blessing" apply - ask (for something); "He applied for a leave of absence"; "She applied for college"; "apply for a job" solicit, beg, tap - make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently; "Henry IV solicited the Pope for a divorce"; "My neighbor keeps soliciting money for different charities" reserve - obtain or arrange (for oneself) in advance; "We managed to reserve a table at Maxim's" challenge - ask for identification; "The illegal immigrant was challenged by the border guard" demand - ask to be informed of; "I demand an explanation" claim - ask for legally or make a legal claim to, as of debts, for example; "They claimed on the maximum allowable amount" call for, invite - request the participation or presence of; "The organizers invite submissions of papers for the conference" desire - express a desire for beg - ask to obtain free; "beg money and food" arrogate, lay claim, claim - demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to; "He claimed his suitcases at the airline counter"; "Mr. Smith claims special tax exemptions because he is a foreign resident" ask over, ask round, invite - invite someone to one's house; "Can I invite you for dinner on Sunday night?" call - call a meeting; invite or command to meet; "The Wannsee Conference was called to discuss the `Final Solution'"; "The new dean calls meetings every week" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
bespeak
verb
1. indicate, show, suggest, evidence, reveal, display, predict, imply, exhibit, proclaim, signify, denote, testify to, foretell, evince, betoken His large ears bespeak his ability to hear all.
2. engage, solicit, prearrange, order beforehand I'm already bespoken to take you tomorrow morning.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
bespeak
verb1. To give grounds for believing in the existence or presence of:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
bespeak
(o.f.) [bɪˈspiːk] (bespoke (pt) (bespoken or bespoke (pp))) VT1. (= be evidence of) → indicar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
bespeak
pret <bespoke or (old) bespake>, ptp <bespoken or bespoke>Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007