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Definition 2024


upspeak

upspeak

English

Verb

upspeak (third-person singular simple present upspeaks, present participle upspeaking, simple past upspoke, past participle upspoken)

  1. (intransitive) To speak up; advocate.
    • 1921, Wallace Irwin, Seed of the sun:
      "Well, if I didn't stay in your home," upspoke the maiden lady, "I shouldn't care to know what it would become."
  2. (linguistics, transitive, intransitive) To speak with upspeak; to uptalk.

Derived terms

Noun

upspeak (uncountable)

  1. (linguistics) A manner of speaking in which the intonation of one's voice rises at the end of a statement, as if expressing uncertainty or asking a question; uptalk.
    • 2012, Elizabeth Flock, But Inside I'm Screaming:
      [...] the nurse answers in upspeak. “You can work on it only if you're supervised.” Even the Oil of Olay moisturizer is confiscated. “It's in a glass jar?” Upspeak again.