speak ill of

IPA/spˈiːk ˈɪl ɒv/
IPA/spˈiːk ˈɪl ʌv/

speak ill of — idiom

1. to talk about a person in a critical or hurtful way, often when that person is n

1.慣用語C1
釋義

to talk about a person in a critical or hurtful way, often when that person is not there to answer back

例句

Sari refused to speak ill of her old boss, even after the messy firing.

refuse to speak ill of someone after a conflict

At the funeral, nobody dared to speak ill of the gentle old farmer.

speak ill of someone who has died

同義詞
  • badmouth

    informal; describes openly saying negative things, often more casual and direct

  • disparage

    formal; stresses making someone seem less valuable rather than simply being unkind

  • run down

    informal phrasal verb; suggests repeatedly criticizing someone to lower their reputation

反義詞
  • speak well of

    to praise someone or describe them in a positive way

  • praise

    to express clear admiration or approval of someone

文法句型

speak ill of someone

not speak ill of someone

用法筆記

Almost always used in the negative or with verbs like refuse, never, or dare not — the phrase carries a moral weight, suggesting that criticizing the person would be unfair or unkind. The object is a person or group, never a thing or idea.

常見錯誤

❌She always speaks ill of her job.
✅She always complains about her job.
💡speak ill of takes a person, not a thing or situation; use complain about for jobs or events.
❌He spoke ill about his rival in the press.
✅He spoke ill of his rival in the press.
💡the fixed phrase uses of, not about.