Meaning & use
Bespeak
Last updated
To indicate or serve as evidence of a particular quality; also, an older sense meaning to order or arrange something in advance.
See it in a sentence
Her calm, measured tone bespeaks years of experience handling crises.
The tailor still takes orders to bespeak a suit cut to exact measurements.
A note on using this word
The modern term "bespoke," meaning custom-made, derives directly from this older sense of "bespeak" — to have something made to order.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
To order or reserve something in advance of its being made or delivered.
He bespoke a new carriage from the finest craftsman in town.
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