forspeak
To injure or cause bad luck through immoderate praise or flatteryTo 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.
Meaning
4 senses(Northern England, Scotland, dialectal, transitive)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.
(obsolete, transitive)To bewitch, to charm.
(obsolete, transitive)To forbid, to prohibit; to oppose.
(obsolete, transitive)To say bad things about; to slander.
Origin
From Middle English forspeken (“to bewitch”), from Old English forspecan, forsprecan (“toFrom 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.
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Forms
forspeaks, forspeaking, forspoke, forspokenSynonyms
104 synonymsWord family
1 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle