tell off
Definition
- 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
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reprimand
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She told the misbehaving student off
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