verb
speculate
SPEHK-yuu-layt
verb
1
To guess or form a theory about something without having solid proof.
"Reporters speculated about the reasons behind the sudden resignation."
"It's pointless to speculate until we have the test results."
2
To buy or trade something risky, hoping to sell later at a profit.
"He lost his savings speculating on volatile tech stocks."
How to Use Speculate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo guess based on limited facts, or to take a financial risk hoping for a big payoff.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "spectate" (to watch an event) — they look similar but are unrelated in meaning.
Easily confused with
spectate
Common pairings
speculate about
speculate on the stock market
speculate wildly
Word Forms
speculated past tense, speculates singular
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Reporters _____ about the reasons behind the sudden resignation.
Etymology
From Latin speculārī ("to watch, observe, spy"), from specula ("a watchtower") — originally about "keeping watch," it drifted toward "forming a theory" and later "taking a financial gamble."