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Glite Dictionary
🗣️ To say 👆 To order 📖 To narrate 🚨 To inform on 👁️ To recognize
to tell

to tell

∞ 1.0
Talk about events or stories
  • verb
  • /tɛl/
translation icon : contar
  • He said, Lord, let me tell you about that woman.
  • tell a story
  • tell the audience
  • tell the children

And he went through and told me what happened.

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Examples

  • He began to tell a fascinating story about his travels around the world.

  • What can we do to tell our stories better?

  • I just wanted so much to tell their stories.

    Tim Ferriss

  • And all I can do is tell you what I think.

  • Then, I will start at the beginning and tell you the story that goes with the pictures.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Our booking agent was just here telling us it's a go.

  • Tell me about these dreams.

    Harmony (2022)

  • Now, at the age of 82, he has told his story in book form.

    Academic text (2011)

  • And he said, I'm going to tell you a story that's very old.

  • I got COVID and I'm telling you, get vaccinated.

Synonyms

to describe
vsto tell
∞ 1.0

To use words to show what a person or thing is like

focuses on sequence and actions over static appearance or features
to tell a story
vsto tell
84 1.1

To describe things that happened, real or made up, to other people

is general giving of an account often not focused on entertainment
to recount
vsto tell
83 4.1

To tell someone about something you experienced in detail

is broader and often spoken rather than only personal experience
to tell stories
vsto tell
73 1.4

Talk about events, real or imagined, to other people

covers single or multiple accounts mainly in spoken form
to narrate
vsto tell
59 4.0

To tell a story, usually by speaking or writing

is usually spoken and simpler than formal written account
to relate
vsto tell
58 2.9

To tell what happened

is mainly about speaking to inform rather than just reporting facts
to recite
vsto tell
28 3.3

List facts or items one after another

is broader giving of events with detail and interest rather than rote listing
to retell
vsto tell
11 2.8

To tell a story or event again in different words

is original giving of an account rather than repeating an earlier one
to tell a tale
vsto tell
3 3.5

Say a story about something that happened or show signs of it

is plain giving of events focused on reporting rather than figurative meaning

Antonyms

to conceal
282 3.7

To hide something so others cannot see or find it

to suppress
176 4.8

To stop public protest by force or by people in power

Idioms

tell you the truth
  • Informal
227 4.5

Say you are being honest before you speak

let me tell you
  • Informal
64 4.4

To start a story or show that what follows is important

to tell the truth
  • Informal
48 3.2

To say something that is true even if it is surprising

time will tell
9 3.3

What happens becomes clear later

pray tell
  • Informal
7 8.8

A polite, often joking way to ask for information after a surprising statement

to tell a tale
3 3.5

Say a story about something that happened or show signs of it

to tell tales out of school
  • Informal
1 8.4

To tell secrets about someone to other people

does Macy's tell Gimbel's?
  • Archaic
9.9

A question people use to show someone would not tell a rival or that something will not happen

piss on my leg and tell me it's raining
  • Offensive
9.9

To lie to someone in an obvious way while expecting them to believe it

to tell it to the judge
  • Informal
8.7

Make an excuse that nobody believes and only a judge cares about

to tell it to the marines
  • Archaic
9.6

Say you do not believe someone's story

to tell its own tale
7.2

To show its history without using words

to tell someone where to shove it
  • Offensive
9.9

Rudely say to someone that you want them to go away

Phrasal Verbs

to tell the truth
814 2.7

Say what really happened without hiding facts or lying

to tell a story
84 1.1

To describe things that happened, real or made up, to other people

to tell stories
73 1.4

Talk about events, real or imagined, to other people

to tell all
  • Literature
47 5.6

Say all private things about a person or event

to tell apart
41 3.0

To notice a difference between two similar things

to tell on
  • Informal
35 4.4

To report to a person in charge that someone did something wrong so they get in trouble

to tell off
  • Informal
13 4.2

To speak angrily to someone for doing something wrong

to tell fortunes
4 7.6

Say what will happen to someone by reading palms, cards, or tea leaves

to tell on
1 6.2

To hurt the body or mind over time

Compounds

tell-all book
  • Literature
6 4.7

A book that reveals private details about people

How Detailed

to recount
83 4.1
to tell
∞ 1.0
to summarize
  • US
90 3.0
to mention
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

tell infinitive
telling present participle
tells third person singular
told past
told past participle

Etymology

Tell is related to the word tale ('story') and comes from old English tellan meaning 'to relate' or 'recount', so to tell a story is to 'recount' events in order. That's why tell means to narrate or give a detailed account.