tell off

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Verb (transitive):
    • To reprimand or scold someone angrily: To speak to someone severely because they have done something wrong.
Usage
  • The verb "tell off" is used with a direct object (the person being scolded). It is a separable phrasal verb. The object can be placed between "tell" and "off" or after "off."
  • Common structures: "tell [someone] off" or "tell off [someone]."
  • It is often used in informal contexts.
Examples
  • Verb:
    • The manager told the employee off for being late.
    • She told him off in front of everyone for his rude comment.
    • I was told off by my teacher for not doing my homework.
Advanced Usage
  • "to get told off": to be reprimanded.
    • He got told off by the librarian for talking too loudly.
Variants and Related Words
  • Telling-off (noun): An instance of being reprimanded.
    • He received a severe telling-off from his boss.
Synonyms
  • Reprimand: To express formal disapproval.
  • Scold: To criticize angrily.
  • Rebuke: To express sharp disapproval.
  • Chastise: To reprimand severely.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Tell on (someone): To inform an authority about someone's misbehavior.
    • His little sister told on him for eating the cookies.
Related Idioms
  • "to give someone a piece of one's mind": To tell someone angrily what one thinks about them.
    • After his constant interruptions, she finally gave him a piece of her mind.
Verb
  1. reprimand
    • She told the misbehaving student off

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