tell — to say something to someone, especially to give information, instructions, or express thoughts
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to say something to someone, especially to give information, instructions, or express thoughts
Pronunciation (IPA): /tɛl/
Example Sentences
- My GPS keeps telling me to turn left, but there's a wall there!
- Can you tell me how to get to the library?
- I told my cat a joke, but he didn't laugh. Tough crowd!
tell
VERB[/tɛl/]
to say something to someone, especially to give information, instructions, or express thoughts
A mother tells her daughter exciting news in their living room
Ring the bell by the well, wisdom to tell!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Old English 'tellan', originally meaning 'to count or calculate'. The word semantically evolved from its primary sense of enumeration to encompass 'to relate' or 'to narrate', eventually developing the meaning 'to speak or communicate'. It shares the same Germanic root as German 'zählen' (to count).
Breakdown
Old English 'tellan' (to count, relate) evolved phonetically into Middle English and Modern English 'tell'. The root is thought to derive from Proto-Germanic *taljanam, related to counting and speech acts, with no productive morphological affixes in the base form.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My GPS keeps telling me to turn left, but there's a wall there!”
“Can you tell me how to get to the library?”
“I told my cat a joke, but he didn't laugh. Tough crowd!”
“She told her students to study hard for the exam.”
“I can't tell if this milk is still good or if my fridge is just being dramatic.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.