What does "bespeak" mean?
A request for a specific performance; a benefit performance, by a patron.
Bespeak
/bɪˈspiːk/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A request for a specific performance; a benefit performance, by a patron.
- Grammar: bespeak is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: indicate, signal, accost, address.
- Useful contrasts: cancel, conceal, defer.
- Usage evidence: The Gods assented to her prayer, and transformed her into a bird: in which shape, as in her former one, she abides in the mountains, and delights in singing. Her notes bespeak her misfortune, for she is calling her wandering cows.
How to use "bespeak"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bespeak" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bespeak" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bespeak" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bespeak" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bespeak" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "indicate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bespeak", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A request for a specific performance; a benefit performance, by a patron. archaic
""By the bye, I've been thinking of bringing out that piece of yours on her bespeak night." "When?" asked Nicholas. "The night of her bespeak. Her benefit night. When her friends and patrons bespeak the play." "Oh! I understand," replied Nicholas."
Verb
- 1 To speak about; tell of; relate; discuss. archaic, formal, transitive
"[They] bespoke dangers […] in order to scare the allies."
- 2 express the need or desire for wordnet
- 3 To speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance. transitive
"concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favour"
- 4 be a signal for or a symptom of wordnet
- 5 To stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour. transitive
"to bespeak a calm hearing"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To forbode; foretell. archaic, transitive
- 7 To speak to; address. archaic, poetic, transitive
"Then ſtaring on her with a ghaſtly Look, / And hollow Voice, he thus the Queen beſpoke."
- 8 To betoken; show; indicate; depict; foretell; suggest; allude to. transitive
"This act bespeaks his kindness."
- 9 To speak up or out; exclaim; speak. intransitive
Example
"The Gods assented to her prayer, and transformed her into a bird: in which shape, as in her former one, she abides in the mountains, and delights in singing. Her notes bespeak her misfortune, for she is calling her wandering cows."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bespeak"?
Common synonyms include: indicate, signal, accost, address, adumbrate, announce.
How do you use "bespeak" in a sentence?
The Gods assented to her prayer, and transformed her into a bird: in which shape, as in her former one, she abides in the mountains, and delights in singing. Her notes bespeak her misfortune, for she is calling her wandering cows.
How do you pronounce "bespeak"?
Pronounced /bɪˈspiːk/.
Etymology
From Middle English bespeken, bispeken, from Old English *bespecan, besprecan (“to speak about, speak against, accuse of, claim at law, complain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisprekan (“to discuss, blame”), from Proto-Germanic *bisprekaną (“to speak about, discuss, blame”), equivalent to be- + speak. Cognate with Scots bespeke (“to beseech, speak or negotiate with”), Saterland Frisian bispreke (“to discuss”), West Frisian besprekke (“to discuss”), Dutch bespreken (“to discuss, review, debate”), German besprechen (“to discuss, review, talk about”).