English Dictionary

Definition of “tell”

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1tell1 (tɛlPronunciation for tell1) 

Definitions

verb

Word forms: tells, telling, told
  1. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to let know or notify  ⇒ he told me that he would go 
  2. (tr) to order or instruct (someone to do something)  ⇒ I told her to send the letter airmail 
  3. intr, usually foll by of to give an account or narration (of something)  ⇒ she told me her troubles 
  4. (tr) to communicate by words; utter  ⇒ to tell the truth 
  5. (tr) to make known; disclose  ⇒ to tell fortunes 
  6. (intr) of to serve as an indication  ⇒ her blush told of her embarrassment 
  7. (tr; used with can, etc; may take a clause as object) to comprehend, discover, or discern  ⇒ I can tell what is wrong 
  8. (tr; used with can, etc) to distinguish or discriminate  ⇒ he couldn't tell chalk from cheese 
  9. (intr) to have or produce an impact, effect, or strain  ⇒ every step told on his bruised feet 
  10. (intr) on informal to reveal secrets or gossip (about)  ⇒ don't tell! she told on him 
  11. (tr) to assure  ⇒ I tell you, I've had enough! 
  12. (tr) to count (votes)
  13. (intr) dialect to talk or chatter
  14. informal mainly US to tell the truth no matter how unpleasant it is
  15. See tell the time
  16. See you're telling me

See also

tell apart , tell off

Alternative Forms

ˈtellable adjective

Word Origin

Old English tellan;  related to Old Saxon tellian,  Old High German zellen  to tell, count, Old Norse telja

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= inform, notify, make aware say to state to warn, reveal to express to brief, advise, disclose to proclaim to fill in, speak about to confess to impart, alert to divulge, announce to acquaint with communicate to mention to make known to apprise, utter to get off your chest let know flag up,
= describe, relate, recount, report, portray, depict, chronicle, rehearse, narrate, give an account of
= instruct, order, command, direct, bid, enjoin,
= see, make out, discern, understand, discover, be certain comprehend,
= distinguish, discriminate, discern, differentiate, identify,
= talk, tell tales, spill the beans, give the game away, blab, let the cat out of the bag,
= reveal, show, indicate, disclose, signify, be evidence of
= have or take effect register, weigh, have force count, take its toll carry weight make its presence felt
= assure, promise, guarantee, swear, give someone your word
= count, reckon, calculate, compute, tally, number, enumerate,

2tell2 (tɛlPronunciation for tell2) 

Definitions

noun

  1. a large mound resulting from the accumulation of rubbish on a long-settled site, esp one with mudbrick buildings, particularly in the Middle East

Word Origin

C19: from Arabic tall

Tell (tɛlPronunciation for Tell) 

Definitions

noun

  1. William, German name German name Wilhelm Tell. a legendary Swiss patriot, who, traditionally, lived in the early 14th century and was compelled by an Austrian governor to shoot an apple from his son's head with one shot of his crossbow. He did so without mishap

Translations

  • British English: tell Pronunciation for tell If you tell someone something, you let them know about it.Tell me about your holiday.tɛl VERB Tell me about your holiday.
  • Spanish: contar Pronunciation for contar v
  • French: dire Pronunciation for dire vt
  • German: erzählen Pronunciation for erzählen v
  • Chinese: 告诉Pronunciation for 告诉 vt
  • Arabic: يُخْبِرُPronunciation for يُخْبِرُ vt
  • Portuguese: dizerPronunciation for dizer vt
  • Russian: говоритьPronunciation for говорить vt
  • Croatian: rećiPronunciation for reći v
  • Czech: říctPronunciation for říct vt říkat
  • Danish: fortællePronunciation for fortælle v
  • Dutch: vertellenPronunciation for vertellen vt
  • Finnish: kertoaPronunciation for kertoa v
  • Greek: λέωPronunciation for λέω v
  • Italian: raccontarePronunciation for raccontare v
  • Japanese: 告げるPronunciation for 告げる v
  • Korean: (...에게) 이야기하다Pronunciation for (...에게) 이야기하다 vt
  • Norwegian: fortellePronunciation for fortelle v
  • Polish: powiedziećPronunciation for powiedzieć vt mówić
  • Brazilian Portuguese: contarPronunciation for contar vt
  • European Spanish: contar Pronunciation for contar v
  • Swedish: berättaPronunciation for berätta vt
  • Thai: บอกPronunciation for บอก vt
  • Turkish: söylemekPronunciation for söylemek vt
  • Vietnamese: bảoPronunciation for bảo v
  • British English: tell If you tell someone to do something, you say that they must do it.She told me to go away.tɛl VERB She told me to go away.
  • French: dire de vi
  • Arabic: يَأْمُرُ v
  • Brazilian Portuguese: dizer vt
  • British English: tell If you can tell something, you know it.I can tell that he is angry.tɛl VERB I can tell that he is angry.
  • French: raconter vt
  • Arabic: يَعْرِفُ v
  • Brazilian Portuguese: perceber vt

Usage examples

  • She looked so much better now than she had at the hospital but I could tell she was still pretty vague.
    Hugo Wilcken, THE EXECUTION (2002)
  • From classic painters, to postmodern sculpture, we tell you what not to miss.
    Country Life (2005)
  • Anybody in the television news business will tell you this: the only thing that gets ratings right now is war.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • It was the sort of chance, truth to tell , which Murdoch would have dispatched with a rocket under the bar.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • What is of prime importance to all of us is our own life story, which we want to tell in our own way.
    Dorothy Rowe, BEYOND FEAR (2002)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'T'

Related Terms

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