Forspeak

Quick meaning: Forspeak is a verb meaning (transitive, obsolete) To bewitch, to charm.

Meaning

(transitive, obsolete) To bewitch, to charm.

More Meanings

1. (transitive, obsolete) To forbid, to prohibit; to oppose.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To say bad things about; to slander.
3. (transitive, obsolete) Alternative spelling of forespeak.
4. (transitive, dialectal, Northern England and Scotland) 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.

Example Sentences

How are my powres fore-spoke? what strange distaste is this?

"I take ye a' to witness, gude people," said Mortheugh, "that she threatens me wi' mischief, and forespeaks me. If onything but gude happens to me or my fiddle this night, I'll make it the blackest night's job she ever stirred in. [...]"

Some call me witch, / And being ignorant of myself, they go / About to teach me how to be one; urging / That my bad tongue—by their bad usage made so— / Forspeaks their cattle, doth bewitch their corn, / Themselves, their servants, and their babes at nurse.

This Examinat confesseth that shee came to Ioane Gylles house, her Child being sicke, and that shee intreated this Examinat to look on the Child, and to tell her whether it was forspoken or no, and this Examinat said it was forspoken; but when the said Child died she cannot tell.

Word Forms

• forspeaks
• forspeaking
• forspoke
• forspake
• forspoken
• forespeak

Synonyms for forspeak

Depending on context, synonyms include bespell, ensorcell, spellbind, bechat, becry, beglammer.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include misspeak, missay, mispraise, villify, prophe-lie, badmouth.

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