noun
1 making guesses about sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ considerable , intense , much , widespread
▪ further , increasing , renewed
▪ continuing ( esp. BrE ), endless
▪ recent
▪ pure
▪ mere , sheer
▪
Whether or not he will get the job is mere ~.
▪ wild
▪ media , press
▪ metaphysical , philosophical
VERB + SPECULATION
▪ cause , encourage , fuel , give rise to , increase , intensify , invite , lead to , prompt , raise
▪ dampen ( esp. BrE ), dismiss , quash ( esp. BrE )
▪ end , put an end to
▪ confirm
▪ indulge in
SPECULATION + VERB
▪ be rife , run rampant ( esp. AmE )
▪
Speculation was rife as to who would be chosen as a successor.
▪
With a lack of credible answers, ~ is running rampant.
▪ grow , mount
▪
Speculation is mounting that a new tax will be introduced.
▪ centre/center on , surround
▪
Much ~ surrounds his role in the crisis.
▪ be based on
▪
amateur ~ based on questionable assumptions
▪ link ( esp. BrE )
▪
There has been a lot of ~ linking the defender with a move to Chelsea.
PREPOSITION
▪ amid ~
▪
He was dropped from the team amid ~ that he was sick.
▪ ~ among
▪
This issue has attracted a great deal of ~ among economists.
▪
There was wild ~ among the students as to the reason for postponing the lecture.
▪ ~ about , ~ as to , ~ on , ~ over
▪
There has been increasing ~ over the company's future.
PHRASES
▪ a matter for ~ ( esp. BrE ), a matter of ~ , a subject of ~
▪ ~ on sb's part
▪
This is just ~ on my part.
2 buying and selling for profit
ADJECTIVE
▪ financial
▪ market , stock-market ( esp. AmE )
▪ currency , land , property ( esp. BrE ), real estate ( AmE ), etc.
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ in
▪
~ in oil
▪ ~ on
▪
~ on the stock market