Example: Her smile speaks volumes about her happiness today.
Definition
"To speak volumes" means to express a great deal of information or emotion without using many words. It often refers to something that clearly reveals feelings or facts, such as when a person's actions or expressions communicate more than spoken language could.
Translations
decir mucho
boekdelen spreken
dir molt
en dire long
Bände sprechen
Etymology
The phrase "to speak volumes" originates from the idea that a 'volume' is a book or collection of written knowledge. Saying something 'speaks volumes' metaphorically means it conveys as much information as an entire book. This vivid expression has been used since the 19th century to highlight powerful, unspoken communication.
Learn to use this expression actively
"To speak volumes" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 106 commonly used expressions.
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