verb
Meaning 1
To talk a great deal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- I can speak volumes about this school.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tell volumes
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
speak volumes
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.
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
verb
Meaning 2
To convey significant information beyond what is explicit, especially unintentionally.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- In our day-to-day experiences, it is often such nonverbal emotional information carried by the human voice that “speaks volumes.”
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: say it all, tell volumes
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: connote
verb
Meaning 3
To convey significant information.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: situation; or object; situation; or object
Examples
- The way you listen speaks volumes.
- The lighted decorated Christmas tree, a treat for all, speaks volumes of meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tell volumes
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
15 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Catalan: dir molt — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Chinese Mandarin: 寓意深遠 /寓意深远 (yùyì shēnyuǎn) — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Dutch: boekdelen spreken — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Dutch: veel zeggen — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Finnish: kertoa paljon — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- French: en dire long — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- French: vouloir tout dire — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- German: Bände sprechen — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- German: viel besagen — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Italian: dirla lunga — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Portuguese: dizer mundos — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Portuguese: dizer muito — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Portuguese: dizer imenso — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Spanish: decir mucho — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit
- Spanish: decirlo todo — to convey significant information beyond what is explicit