Dictionary

speak volumes en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. To talk a great deal.
   • I can speak volumes about this school.
2. To convey significant information beyond what is explicit, especially unintentionally.
   • In our day-to-day experiences, it is often such nonverbal emotional information carried by the human voice that “speaks volumes.”
3. (of an action, qualifier:situation; or object; situation; or object) To convey significant information.
   • The lighted decorated Christmas tree, a treat for all, speaks volumes of meaning.
   • The way you listen speaks volumes.
   • I waited, anticipating her reply. Her hesitation spoke volumes. 1990, Roy Hollis, Eve, New York, N.Y.: Vantage Press, →ISBN:
   • The impact is tangible. In 2023, South Western Railway replaced manual, paper-based systems with real-time Passenger Assistance - and the results speak volumes: […]. 2025 October 15, Emma Partlow, “Comment: Passenger Assistance”, in RAIL, number 1046, page 15:
   • Two-nil down, playing the World Cup winners in Berlin, England’s response spoke volumes for the spirit of togetherness Hodgson has been trying to foster and provided a victory that will be remembered with the kind of fondness usually reserved for the 5–1 win in Munich from an entirely different era. 2016 March 27, Daniel Taylor, “Eric Dier seals England’s stunning comeback against Germany”, in The Guardian, London, archived from the original on 01 Apr 2016:

Forms

Hypernyms

connote

Synonyms

tell volumes · tell volumes · tell volumes · say it all

Translations (15)

it dirla lunga (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · pt dizer muito (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · ca dir molt (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · pt dizer imenso (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · fr vouloir tout dire (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · pt dizer mundos (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · nl veel zeggen (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · fi kertoa paljon (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · es decirlo todo (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · fr en dire long (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · nl boekdelen spreken (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · cmn 寓意深遠 /寓意深远 (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · de Bände sprechen (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · es decir mucho (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit) · de viel besagen (to convey significant information beyond what is explicit)