Definition

1. Verb:
   • To communicate information, facts, or news to someone in spoken or written words: The primary meaning involves conveying something to another person.
   • To narrate or relate a story or events: To give a detailed account of something that happened.
   • To order, instruct, or advise someone to do something: To give a command or direction.
   • To discern, perceive, or recognize something: To be able to see, understand, or distinguish a fact or detail.
   • To have a noticeable effect or impact: To produce a visible or significant result.

Examples of Usage

• Verb (Communicate Information):
  • Please tell me your name.
  • He told us the good news.
• Verb (Narrate):
  • She told a fascinating story about her travels.
  • Can you tell me what happened?
• Verb (Order/Instruct):
  • I told you to be careful.
  • The teacher told the students to open their books.
• Verb (Discern/Perceive):
  • I can tell you're unhappy from your expression.
  • It's hard to tell the difference between the twins.
• Verb (Have an Effect):
  • The strain is beginning to tell on his health.
  • Her experience tells in the quality of her work.

Advanced Usage

• "To tell the truth": To be honest or to speak honestly.
  • To tell the truth, I didn't enjoy the movie.
• "To tell time": To be able to read the time from a clock.
  • My daughter is learning to tell time.
• "To tell a lie": To say something that is not true.
  • He told a lie to avoid getting into trouble.

Variants and Related Words

• Teller (n): A person who tells something (e.g., a storyteller) or a bank employee who handles customers' transactions.
  • He is a great teller of tales.
• Foretell (v): To predict or prophesy a future event.
  • The ancient oracle sought to foretell the future.

Synonyms

• Inform: To give facts or information to someone.
• Narrate: To tell a story or describe events.
• Order: To give a command.
• Discern: To perceive or recognize something.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Tell off: To reprimand or scold someone angrily.
  • His boss told him off for being late.
• Tell on:
  • To inform an authority about someone's misbehavior: His little sister told on him for eating the cookies.
  • To have a taxing effect on someone: The long hours are telling on the entire team.
• Tell apart: To distinguish between two or more similar things or people.
  • The two signatures are so similar, I can't tell them apart.

Related Idioms

• Tell it like it is: To speak honestly and directly without hiding unpleasant facts.
  • You can trust her to tell it like it is.
• Time will tell: Used to say that the truth or result of a situation will become clear over time.
  • Will the new policy work? Only time will tell.
• You're telling me!: An informal expression used to strongly agree with what someone has just said.
  • "It's cold today!" "You're telling me! I'm freezing!"

Noun

1. a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer; according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap)

Verb

1. mark as different
   • We distinguish several kinds of maple
2. give evidence
   • he was telling on all his former colleague
3. inform positively and with certainty and confidence
   • I tell you that man is a crook!
4. discern or comprehend
   • He could tell that she was unhappy
5. give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
   • I said to him to go home
   • She ordered him to do the shopping
   • The mother told the child to get dressed
6. narrate or give a detailed account of
   • Tell what happened
   • The father told a story to his child
7. let something be known
   • Tell them that you will be late
8. express in words
   • He said that he wanted to marry her
   • tell me what is bothering you
   • state your opinion
   • state your name