- the past tense and past participle of tell1
- See all told
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
told /toʊld/USA pronunciation
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- pt. and pp. of tell.
- Idioms all told, counting everyone or everything;
in all:All told, there were thirty students in the linguistics class.
told (tōld),USA pronunciation
v.
- pt. and pp. of tell.
- all told, counting everyone or everything;
in all:There were 50 guests all told.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
tell1 /tɛl/USA pronunciation
v., told/toʊld/USA pronunciation tell•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to narrate (a story, etc.) to (someone): [~ + object]He told a story to the children.[~ + object + object]He told the children a story.[no object]The story tells of the legend of King Arthur.
- to make known (a fact, news, etc.) to (someone);
communicate: [~ + object + object]He told us the news of her death.[~ + object + about/of + object]He told us about her death.[~ + object + (that) clause]He told us that she had died. - to inform (a person) of something:[~ + object + object]He told me his name.
- to utter (the truth, etc.);
speak: [~ + object (+ to + object)]He wasn't telling the truth to his wife.[~ + object + object]He wasn't telling his wife the truth. - to express (thoughts, feelings, etc.) in words:[~ + object]to tell one's love.
- to reveal to others by speaking to them about (something private): [~ + object + object]I just told her a secret.[~ + object (+ to + object)]I told a secret (to my wife).[no object]Will you hate me if I tell?
- to say or assert positively: [~ (+ object) + clause][not: be + ~-ing]I can't tell (you) when inflation will come down.[no object]When will inflation come down? I can't tell yet.
- to be able to see clearly;
identify;
distinguish;
know: [~ + object][not: be + ~-ing]to tell twins apart.[~ + clause]to tell if it is night or day.[no object]]:Don't ask me how I know; I can just tell. - to order or command: [~ + object + to + verb]Tell her to stop.[~ + object + (that) clause]I told her (that) she should pull the car over and stop.
- to give evidence of (something) to (someone);
indicate:[usually not: be + ~ -ing;~ + object + clause]The light on the dashboard tells you if you're driving too fast. - to produce a strong effect:[no object;(~ + on + object)]The strain of his job began to tell on him.
- Informal Terms tell off, to scold severely: [~ + object + off]It was about time somebody told him off.[~ + off + object]He told off the whole class because no one was handing in assignments.
- tell on, [~ + on + object] to tattle on:Don't tell on your sister.
- all told, when all have been counted:All told, seventeen planes were shot down.
- Idioms tell it like it is, [no object][Informal.]to be blunt and tell the whole truth:Let me tell it like it is: Things are tough and they're going to get tougher.
- time will tell, [no object] in time, the facts will be clearly known:She may have the makings of an excellent teacher; time will tell.
- See say.
tell1 (tel),USA pronunciation
v., told, tell•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
tell2 (tel),USA pronunciation n.
Tell (tel),USA pronunciation n. Wil•helm
v.t.
- 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.
v.i.
- 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 Termsto talk or chat.
- tell it like it is, [Informal.]to tell the complete, unadulterated truth;
be forthright:He may be crude but he tells it like it is. - 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.
- tell on, to tattle on (someone).
- bef. 900; Middle English tellen, Old English tellan to relate, count; cognate with Dutch tellen to reckon, count, Old Norse telja to count, say, Old High German zellēn; akin to tale
- 1. recount, describe, report. 2. impart. 4. speak. 6. disclose, betray; acknowledge, own, confess; declare.
tell2 (tel),USA pronunciation n.
- Archaeologyan artificial mound consisting of the accumulated remains of one or more ancient settlements (often used in Egypt and the Middle East as part of a place name).
- Arabic tall hillock
- 1860–65
Tell (tel),USA pronunciation n. Wil•helm
-
(vil′helm).USA pronunciation
- MythologySee William Tell.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
tell /tɛl/ vb (tells, telling, told)
- (when tr, may take a clause as object) to let know; notify
- (transitive) to order or instruct (someone to do something)
- when intr, usually followed by of: to give an account or narration (of something)
- (transitive) to communicate by words; utter: to tell the truth
- (transitive) to make known; disclose: to tell fortunes
- (intransitive) often followed by of: to serve as an indication: her blush told of her embarrassment
- (transitive; used with can, etc; may take a clause as object) to comprehend, discover, or discern: I can tell what is wrong
- (transitive; used with can, etc) to distinguish or discriminate: he couldn't tell chalk from cheese
- (intransitive) to have or produce an impact, effect, or strain: every step told on his bruised feet
- (intransitive) sometimes followed by on: informal to reveal secrets or gossip (about)
- (transitive) to assure: I tell you, I've had enough!
- (transitive) to count (votes)
- tell the time ⇒ to read the time from a clock
- you're telling me ⇒ slang I know that very well
tell /tɛl/ n
- a large mound resulting from the accumulation of rubbish on a long-settled site, esp one with mudbrick buildings, particularly in the Middle East
'told' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
all told
- as
- cards
- conclude
- Danaüs
- Dinesen
- face
- facts of life
- fairy tale
- foretell
- gag
- grammar
- hear
- home truth
- how
- listen
- parable
- rotten
- simple
- sober
- story
- straight
- sure
- tell
- time
- untold
- whose
- word
- youth
- above
- accord
- advance
- all
- another
- apocryphal
- assent
- autobiography
- bait-and-switch
- beam
- beat
- bedtime story
- billion
- bird
- break
- breath
- buckle
- business
- but
- calisaya
- caution