speculate
gb/spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt/ us/spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt/
B2
Anh
~ 7000
Các nghĩa
0 nghĩa
Động từ
B2
action
1
guess or form theories without proof
To guess or form an idea about something when you do not know all the facts, often talking about your guess.
Mẫu sử dụng:
to speculate about/on [something]
Lỗi thường gặp:
Learners sometimes use the wrong preposition, saying *speculate of* instead of *speculate about* or *speculate on*. Another mistake is using *speculate* when they mean *expect* or *plan*; *speculate* always includes uncertainty and lack of full information.
Từ đồng nghĩa
guess (More general and informal; does not suggest serious thinking.)
|
suppose (Often softer and more conversational; can sound less uncertain than 'speculate'.)
|
theorize (Suggests more systematic or academic thinking than 'speculate'.)
|
conjecture (Formal word, mostly in writing; very close in meaning but less common in speech.)
Từ trái nghĩa
know (Implies having certain information, not just an idea or guess.)
|
confirm (Means to show that something is definitely true, the opposite of only guessing about it.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
speculate about
|speculate on
|speculate that
|it is speculated that
|widely speculated
Chủ đề
thinking
|communication
|media
|core_vocabulary
Ví dụ
- Reporters spent hours speculating about the cause of the crash.
- Experts are speculating that the company may soon be sold.
- Fans speculated on social media that the two actors were dating.
- It is widely speculated that the prime minister will resign.
- Scientists can only speculate about what lies beneath the ice.
Ví dụ cho người học
- People speculated about why the store closed.
- The news article speculated that prices would rise.
- We can only speculate about what happened to him.
- Some students speculated that the exam would be easy.
- Many fans speculated on who would win the game.
Động từ
technical
C1
action
2
trade assets in risky way
To buy and sell things like stocks or houses in a risky way, hoping to make money if the price changes.
Mẫu sử dụng:
to speculate in [financial asset]
Lỗi thường gặp:
Learners sometimes confuse this with general *invest*, not realizing that *speculate* suggests high risk and short‑term profit. Another mistake is using a person as an object, e.g. *speculate someone*, which is incorrect; you *speculate in* or *speculate on* assets or prices.
Từ đồng nghĩa
gamble (Stresses risk and possible loss even more; less technical than 'speculate'.)
|
trade (More neutral; does not always imply high risk or short‑term profit like 'speculate'.)
|
bet (Informal and emphasizes risk; used more broadly, not only for finance.)
Từ trái nghĩa
save (Means keeping money safely instead of risking it in markets.)
|
invest conservatively (Focuses on low‑risk, long‑term investment, the opposite style of 'speculate'.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
speculate in stocks
|speculate in property
|speculate on currency
|speculate on the market
|heavily speculate
Chủ đề
business
|finance
|economics
Ví dụ
- He made a fortune speculating in tech stocks during the 1990s.
- Investors who speculated on the housing market suffered heavy losses when prices fell.
- The company does not speculate in foreign currencies but focuses on its core business.
- Small investors are warned not to speculate with money they cannot afford to lose.
- Traders speculated on oil futures ahead of the announcement.
Ví dụ cho người học
- He likes to speculate in the stock market.
- Some people speculate in houses and then sell them quickly.
- The bank does not allow its staff to speculate in company shares.
- They lost money when they speculated on the price of gold.
- If you speculate in currency, you can win or lose very fast.
Động từ
C1
action
3
think about possible outcomes
To think about what might happen or what might be true when you do not have all the facts.
Mẫu sử dụng:
to speculate on/about [possible outcome]
Lỗi thường gặp:
Learners sometimes use *speculate* when they mean *plan* or *decide*, but *speculate* always keeps the idea of uncertainty. It describes thinking about different possibilities, not choosing one definite action.
Từ đồng nghĩa
ponder (Focuses more on deep, careful thinking than on lack of information.)
|
wonder (More casual and emotional; less formal than 'speculate'.)
|
reflect (Emphasizes thoughtful consideration, not necessarily about unknown things.)
Từ trái nghĩa
ignore (Means to deliberately not think about something, the opposite of considering possibilities.)
|
accept (To take something as it is, without mentally exploring alternatives.)
Cụm từ đi kèm
speculate on the future
|speculate about consequences
|speculate on what might happen
|philosophers speculate
|scientists speculate
Chủ đề
thinking
|future
|science
|core_vocabulary
Ví dụ
- Scientists speculate on how climate change will affect future generations.
- Philosophers have long speculated about the nature of consciousness.
- I try not to speculate on what the test results might show until I have them.
- Historians can only speculate about what the king was thinking at that moment.
- She spent the evening speculating quietly about where her life was heading.
Ví dụ cho người học
- We often speculate on what our lives will be like in ten years.
- Doctors can only speculate about how long the treatment will take.
- He sat by the window and speculated about his future.
- Children like to speculate about life on other planets.
- I do not want to speculate on the results before we see them.
Ngữ pháp
Dạng từ điển
speculate
IPA
GB/spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt/
US/spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt/
Âm tiết và trọng âm
spec - u - late (3 âm tiết)
Stress on 1st syllable (spec)
Các dạng từ
Verb
- Base: speculate
- 3rd Person Singular: speculates
- Present Participle: speculating
- Past: speculated
Họ từ
Forms
speculates
verb
speculating
verb
speculated
verb
Core family
speculation
noun B2
speculative
adjective C1
Related words
speculator
noun
speculatively
adverb
Cách diễn đạt
it is speculated that
1/ˈɪt ˈɪz spˈɛkjəlˌeɪtɪd ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
formal
people say something may be true
Used in news and formal writing to say that many people guess something is true, but it is not proven.
Ví dụ
- It is speculated that the company will announce major job cuts next week.
- It is speculated that the painting is worth several million dollars.
speculate about
1/spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt əbˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
talk or think guessing about something
To talk or think about why something happened or what is true, when you do not know all the facts.
Ví dụ
- People like to speculate about the private lives of celebrities.
- The article speculated about possible reasons for the sudden drop in sales.
speculate in
1/spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
technical
trade risky assets for profit
To buy things like stocks or houses in a risky way, hoping to sell them later for more money.
Ví dụ
- He made his money by speculating in real estate.
- Small investors are warned not to speculate in complex financial products.
speculate on
1/spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
guess about future events
To guess what will happen in the future, without having enough information to be sure.
Ví dụ
- Analysts are speculating on how the election will affect the economy.
- We can only speculate on what the next version of the phone will look like.
speculate that
1/spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
say that something might be true
To say that you think something is true, but you are not sure because you do not have enough facts.
Ví dụ
- Investigators speculate that the fire started in the kitchen.
- Some scientists speculate that life may exist on other planets.