spec
u
late
Third Person
speculates
Present Participle
speculating
Past Tense
speculated
Past Participle
speculated
1
to form a theory or opinion about a subject without knowing all the facts
- Observing the unusual behavior, scientists began to speculate about the potential causes of the phenomenon.
- Without clear details, they could only speculate about the cause of the sudden power outage.
- When the stock prices suddenly dropped, investors started to speculate on the reasons for the market downturn.
- After the unexpected announcement, employees started to speculate on the upcoming changes in company policies.
- Neighbors started speculating about the reasons for the sudden increase in security measures.
2
to believe or assume something is true based on limited or unclear evidence
transitive
- The detective speculated that the suspect might be hiding in the city.
- Based on the clues, he speculated that the missing item was hidden somewhere nearby.
- I speculate that the delay is due to unforeseen complications in the project.
- I don’t know for sure, but I can speculate that he’ll arrive late.
- Given the lack of information, they speculated that the meeting had been postponed.
3
to think deeply about something or consider different possibilities
- I like to speculate on life’s bigger questions late at night.
- After the conversation, I couldn’t help but speculate on her true feelings.
- We spent the evening speculating on how the event would unfold.
- Before making a decision, I like to speculate on all the possible outcomes.
4
to make a risky investment while hoping to profit from it
- He decided to speculate in the stock market, hoping for a big return on his investments.
- She speculated in cryptocurrency, hoping to cash in on the volatile market.
- Investors speculated in gold, betting that its value would rise amid economic uncertainty.
- He made a fortune by speculating in commercial properties during the real estate boom.
- He didn’t just save money; he speculated in the market to grow his wealth quickly.
Synonyms: