tell

1 of 3

verb

ˈtel How to pronounce tell (audio)
told ˈtōld How to pronounce tell (audio) ; telling
Synonyms of tellnext

transitive verb

1
a
: to relate in detail : narrate
told the whole story to us
b
: to give utterance to : say
could never tell a lie
2
a
: to make known : divulge, reveal
don't tell your password
b
: to express in words
she never told her love—William Shakespeare
3
a
: to give information to : inform
tell us about your job
b
: to assure emphatically
they did not do it, I tell you
4
: order, direct
told me to wait
5
: to find out by observing : recognize
you can tell it's a masterpiece
6
: count, enumerate
tell the stars, if thou be able to number them—Genesis 15:5 (King James Version)

intransitive verb

1
: to give an account
an article telling of her experience
2
: to tell someone (such as a parent or other person of authority) about what someone else has done
—often used with on
I'll get even with you if you ever tell on me—Inside Detective
3
: to serve as evidence or indication
4
: to have a marked effect
the pressure was beginning to tell on him

tell

2 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtel How to pronounce tell (audio)
plural tells
1
: an inadvertent behavior or mannerism that betrays a poker player's true thoughts, intentions, or emotions
The World Series of Poker: earth's greatest liars gathered together with millions of dollars on the line … . It's a blur of action, but the educated spectator ignores these distractions and focuses on the players' mannerisms—it's all part of the science of tells, reflexes a player can't control that, read right, give away his thoughts.—Seth Stevenson
2
: a revealing gesture, expression, etc., that is likened to a poker player's tell
But his eyes darted fractionally to one side as he said it …; the classic liar's tell.—Stephen King
broadly : sign, indication
I talked to staffers who said that their bosses had two or three flights booked getting out of town, a big tell that there was not going to be a deal. —Kelly O'Donnell

tell

3 of 3

noun (2)

: hill, mound
specifically : an ancient mound in the Middle East composed of remains of successive settlements

Synonyms

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for tell

reveal, disclose, divulge, tell, betray mean to make known what has been or should be concealed.

reveal may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason.

divine will as revealed in sacred writings

disclose may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret.

candidates must disclose their financial assets

divulge implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence.

refused to divulge an anonymous source

tell implies an imparting of necessary or useful information.

told them what he had overheard

betray implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntary or unconscious disclosure.

a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

Examples of tell in a Sentence

Verb He told us the story. Has she told you the good news, yet? Please tell us your name and occupation. She looked at the palm of my hand and told me my fortune. If you see her, tell her hello for me. “I feel sick,” he told his mom. “What is his name?” “I don't know. He didn't tell me.” “Who is the letter from?” “I'm not telling.” I promise not to tell anyone. I can't tell you because it's a secret.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Stop, but tell your momma… tell your old girl she a beautiful lady. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 14 Apr. 2024 Witnesses told City News Service that the man is a chef. —Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024 Garland told members of the House last year that the cases investigated threats or acts of violence. —Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024 And as anyone who lives in a warm climate can tell you, darker cars get much hotter than lighter ones. —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2024 The sheriff's department told CBS News after a brief search that the suspect had been taken into custody. —Tucker Reals, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2024 Read this story for advice on how to tell someone about your diagnosis and for other information on dating with an STI. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024 Developers will hash out the details of their project with county and city officials over the coming year, county staff told the commission. —Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024 Schroer told The Star at the Missouri Capitol that he had not been served the lawsuit. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English tellan; akin to Old High German zellen to count, tell, Old English talu tale

Noun (2)

Arabic tall

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 6

Noun (1)

1974, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tell was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing tell

Dictionary Entries Near tell

telium

tell

tell a different story

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Tell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

tell

verb
ˈtel
told
ˈtōld
 ; telling
1
: count entry 1 sense 1a, enumerate
2
a
: to describe in detail : narrate
tell a story
b
: to give an account
an article telling of her experience
c
: say entry 1 sense 1a, utter
tell a lie
3
a
: to make known : reveal
tell a secret
b
: to express in words
can't tell you how pleased we are
4
: to give information to : inform
tell me as soon as the package gets here
5
: order entry 1 sense 2a, direct
told us to wait
6
: to find out by observing
can tell the child is honest
7
: to act as a tattletale
tell on a cheater
8
: to have a noticeable effect
the pressure began to tell on them
9
: to be evidence of : indicate
smiles telling of success

More from Merriam-Webster on tell

Nglish: Translation of tell for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of tell for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tell

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