to give an account or narrative of; narrate; relate (a story, tale, etc.).
to tell the story of Lincoln's childhood.
to make known by speech or writing (a fact, news, information, etc.); communicate.
to announce or proclaim.
to utter (the truth, a lie, etc.).
to express in words (thoughts, feelings, etc.).
to reveal or divulge (something secret or private).
to say plainly or positively.
I cannot tell just what was done.
to discern or recognize (a distant person or thing) so as to be able to identify or describe.
Can you tell who that is over there?
to distinguish; discriminate; ascertain.
You could hardly tell the difference between them.
to inform (a person) of something.
He told me his name.
to assure emphatically.
I won't, I tell you!
to bid, order, or command.
Tell him to stop.
to mention one after another, as in enumerating; count or set one by one or in exact amount.
to tell the cattle in a herd;
All told there were 17 if we are correct.
to give an account or report.
Tell me about your trip.
to give evidence or be an indication.
The ruined temples told of an ancient culture, long since passed from existence.
to disclose something secret or private; inform; tattle.
She knows who did it, but she won't tell.
to say positively; determine; predict.
Who can tell?
to have force or effect; operate effectively.
a contest in which every stroke tells.
to produce a marked or severe effect.
The strain was telling on his health.
British Dialect. to talk or chat.
tell on to tattle on (someone).
tell off
to separate from the whole and assign to a particular duty.
Informal. to rebuke severely; scold.
It was about time that someone told him off.
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to let know or notify
he told me that he would go
(tr) to order or instruct (someone to do something)
I told her to send the letter airmail
to give an account or narration (of something)
she told me her troubles
(tr) to communicate by words; utter
to tell the truth
(tr) to make known; disclose
to tell fortunes
to serve as an indication
her blush told of her embarrassment
(tr; used with can, etc; may take a clause as object) to comprehend, discover, or discern
I can tell what is wrong
(tr; used with can, etc) to distinguish or discriminate
he couldn't tell chalk from cheese
(intr) to have or produce an impact, effect, or strain
every step told on his bruised feet
informal to reveal secrets or gossip (about)
don't tell!
she told on him
(tr) to assure
I tell you, I've had enough!
(tr) to count (votes)
dialect (intr) to talk or chatter
informal to tell the truth no matter how unpleasant it is
to read the time from a clock
slang I know that very well
First recorded before 900; Middle English tellen, tel(le) “to speak, talk, say, mention,” Old English tellan “to tell, relate, count”; cognate with Dutch tellen “to reckon, count,” Old Norse telja “to count, number, say,” Old High German zellēn, German zählen “to count, number”; akin to tale
First recorded in 1860–65; from Arabic tall “hillock”
To tell is to describe or announce something, either by speaking or writing. If you're going to be late to a movie, you should tell your friends so they can save you a seat. You might tell someone to be quiet in the library, or tell a bedtime story to your siblings. You can also tell your friend a secret or tell her secret to someone else. Informally, to tell on someone is to inform an authority about something that person did that she wasn't supposed to do. And there's also a way to use tell to mean "determine with certainty," like when you can tell it's going to rain because the sky is so dark.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People will tell you who they are regardless, even and especially in jest.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
But as anyone who has seen “Vera” could tell him, Newcastle Upon Tyne is far from peaceful.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Why should litigants and witnesses tell the truth if the judge cannot even tell the truth?
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
Western diplomatic sources tell the BBC that China has become increasingly concerned about the growing partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Father Torralba encouraged Joey to tell Marie Dachauer all about Tala, and that’s just what Joey does.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
