Standard Lemma guide

forspeak

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /fɔːˈspiːk/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /fə-/
  • General-American: /fɔɹˈspik/
  • General-American: /fɚ-/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: forespeak
  • rhymes with -iːk

1

verb

Meaning 1

To injure or cause bad luck through immoderate praise or flattery; to affect with the curse of an evil tongue, which brings ill luck upon all objects of its praise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Northern-England, Scotland, dialectal, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To bewitch, to charm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bespell, ensorcell, spellbind, bechat, becry, beglammer, bewitch, conjure, enchant, englamour, enspell, forspeak, glamour, hex, jinx, maleficiate, mojo, spell, spellcast, witch

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To forbid, to prohibit; to oppose.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disallow, foresnaffle, proscribe, prohibit, ban, banish, bar, criminalize, debar, enjoin, estop, forbid, forspeak, interdict, outlaw, taboo, veto, forfend

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To say bad things about; to slander.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badmouth, forgab, trash-talk, assassinate, asperse, backbite, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, defame, demonize, denigrate, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, diss, drag through the mud, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, libel, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, slander, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

Alternative spelling of forespeak.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative, obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English forspeken (“to bewitch”), from Old English forspecan, forsprecan (“to speak in vain; to speak amiss; to denounce; to deny”); analysable as for- + speak.

See forespeak.