tell on

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Definition

Verb (phrasal verb): 1. To inform against someone; to report someone's misdeeds to an authority. 2. To have a noticeable, often negative, effect or impact on someone or something; to strain or wear down.

Usage
  • Sense 1 (Informing): Used when someone reveals another person's secret or wrongdoing, typically to a person in authority (e.g., a teacher, parent, boss).
  • Sense 2 (Affecting): Used to describe how something causes a visible or physical toll, often from prolonged use or stress.
Examples
  • Sense 1 (Informing):
    • He didn't want to tell on his friend, but cheating was against the rules.
    • If you don't share the toy, I'm going to tell on you to Mom!
  • Sense 2 (Affecting):
    • The years of hard labor began to tell on his health.
    • The stress of the job is starting to tell on her; she looks exhausted.
Advanced Usage
  • The phrasal verb is separable. A pronoun object must come between "tell" and "on" (e.g., ). A noun object can come between or after (e.g., or ).
  • In the "affecting" sense, it is not separable. The subject causing the effect comes before the phrasal verb, and the person/thing affected comes after "on."
Variants and Related Words
  • Inform on/against (someone): A more formal synonym for the first sense.
  • Snitch (on someone) / Rat (someone out): Informal, often derogatory synonyms for the first sense.
  • Take a toll on (someone/something): A common synonym for the second sense.
Synonyms
  • For Sense 1: inform on, report, betray, squeal on (slang), grass on (UK slang).
  • For Sense 2: affect, impact, strain, wear on, take a toll on.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Tell off: To reprimand or scold someone angrily.
    • The teacher told him off for talking in class.
  • Tell apart: To distinguish between two or more similar things or people.
    • The twins are identical; I can't tell them apart.
Related Idioms
  • Tell tales (out of school): To reveal secrets or gossip, similar to the first sense of "tell on."
    • Don't trust him; he's always telling tales.
Verb
  1. produce an effect or strain on somebody
    • Each step told on his tired legs
  2. give away information about somebody
    • He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam

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