tell 
/ˈtɛl/ verb
tells; told /ˈtɛl/ verb /ˈtoʊld/; tell·ing 1 [+ obj] a : to say or write (something) to (someone)
▪ 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. ▪ I promise not to tell anyone your secret. = I promise not to tell your secret to anyone. — often + about ▪ You can tell me all about your trip at dinner. — often + that ▪ If you see her, tell her (that) we miss her. ▪ People tell me (that) Paris is nice this time of year. ▪ I keep telling myself (that) everything will be OK. ▪ My husband tells/told me (that) you play golf. — often + what, where, etc. ▪ He told us what happened. ▪ Can you tell them how to play the game while I get the cards? ▪ I can't tell you how pleased we are [=we are very pleased] that you could join us. ◊This sense of tell is often used informally to emphasize a statement.
▪ You are wrong, I tell you. ▪ I can tell you —it's not worth the hassle. ▪ I'm telling you, I don't know anyone by that name. ▪ I'll tell you one thing: she was awfully arrogant. ▪ I'll tell you something/this: I would never have bought that car. ▪ Let me tell you (something): he may be old, but he can still win baseball games. ▪ To tell you the truth, I didn't really like the movie. ▪ “The car turned out to be a lemon!” “What did I tell you?” [=you should have listened to me; you should have followed my advice]
b : to say (a word or words) to (someone)
▪ I didn't get a chance to tell him goodbye. [=to say goodbye to him] ▪ If you see her, tell her hello for me. ▪ “I feel sick,” he told his mom. 2 a : to give information to (someone) by speaking or writing [+ obj] ▪ “What is his name?” “I don't know. He didn't tell me.” ▪ Be sure to tell me when they get here. = When they get here, be sure to tell me (so). ▪ “I know the answer.” “Don't tell me. [=don't say what the answer is] I want to guess.” ▪ “Do you know where the library is?” “I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you.” [=I don't know] [no obj] ▪ “Who is the letter from?” “I'm not telling.”
b : to let (someone) know a secret [+ obj] ▪ I promise not to tell anyone. ▪ I can't tell you because it's a secret. [no obj] ▪ Your secret is safe with me: I'll never tell. 3 [+ obj] : to express (something) by speaking
▪ He loves telling stories/jokes. ▪ You shouldn't tell [=reveal] other people's secrets. ▪ She got in trouble for telling a lie. ▪ I'm telling the truth. ▪ I didn't really like the movie, to tell the truth. [=to say what I really think] ▪ Truth be told [=to say what the truth is], the food was pretty bad. 4 [+ obj] : to give (someone) an instruction or command
▪ Be quiet and do what I tell you. = Be quiet and do as you're told. — usually followed by to + verb ▪ The police officer told him to stop. ▪ I was told to stay here. ▪ I'll tell them to meet us there at 6 o'clock. ▪ I told myself to pick up some milk on the way home, but I forgot to do it. ▪ You can't tell me what to do. 5 : to inform others that someone has done something wrong or behaved badly — used especially by children [no obj] ▪ If you do that, I'll tell. [+ obj] ▪ I'm telling Mom. — see also tell on 1 (below) 6 [+ obj] : to give information to (someone or something) by doing a particular action or making a particular sound
▪ When the dog scratches at the door, she is telling you that she wants to go outside. ▪ The oven will beep to tell you when it is preheated. 7 [+ obj] : to make (something) known to (someone)
▪ The expressions on their faces told me everything I needed to know. ▪ The evidence tells us that there were two robbers. ▪ The signs will tell you what exit to take off the highway. 8 not used in progressive tenses [+ obj] : to see or understand the differences between two people or things
▪ I can definitely tell a/the difference between the two sauces. ▪ They look exactly the same. How can you tell which is which? ▪ I can't tell who is who with their uniforms on. ▪ He is old enough to tell right from wrong. [=to know what things are good and what things are bad] 9 not used in progressive tenses : to see or know (something) with certainty [+ obj] ▪ It was easy to tell that the bill was counterfeit. ▪ It's hard to tell if she's kidding or not. — usually used after can or could ▪ “He's lying.” “Really? How can you tell?” ▪ I could tell (by/from the look on his face) that he was lying. ▪ You can tell a lot about a person by the kind of car they drive. ▪ No one can tell for sure whether it will happen. ▪ Who can tell [=who can predict] what will happen next season? ▪ You can never tell what type of mood he will be in. ▪ You never can tell how he'll be feeling. [no obj] ▪ You might win the raffle—you never can tell. ▪ As far/near as I can tell, he is happy at his new job. [=he seems to me to be happy in his new job]
▪ 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. ▪ I promise not to tell anyone your secret. = I promise not to tell your secret to anyone. — often + about ▪ You can tell me all about your trip at dinner. — often + that ▪ If you see her, tell her (that) we miss her. ▪ People tell me (that) Paris is nice this time of year. ▪ I keep telling myself (that) everything will be OK. ▪ My husband tells/told me (that) you play golf. — often + what, where, etc. ▪ He told us what happened. ▪ Can you tell them how to play the game while I get the cards? ▪ I can't tell you how pleased we are [=we are very pleased] that you could join us. ◊This sense of tell is often used informally to emphasize a statement.
▪ You are wrong, I tell you. ▪ I can tell you —it's not worth the hassle. ▪ I'm telling you, I don't know anyone by that name. ▪ I'll tell you one thing: she was awfully arrogant. ▪ I'll tell you something/this: I would never have bought that car. ▪ Let me tell you (something): he may be old, but he can still win baseball games. ▪ To tell you the truth, I didn't really like the movie. ▪ “The car turned out to be a lemon!” “What did I tell you?” [=you should have listened to me; you should have followed my advice]
b : to say (a word or words) to (someone)
▪ I didn't get a chance to tell him goodbye. [=to say goodbye to him] ▪ If you see her, tell her hello for me. ▪ “I feel sick,” he told his mom.
b : to let (someone) know a secret [+ obj] ▪ I promise not to tell anyone. ▪ I can't tell you because it's a secret. [no obj] ▪ Your secret is safe with me: I'll never tell.
▪ He loves telling stories/jokes. ▪ You shouldn't tell [=reveal] other people's secrets. ▪ She got in trouble for telling a lie. ▪ I'm telling the truth. ▪ I didn't really like the movie, to tell the truth. [=to say what I really think] ▪ Truth be told [=to say what the truth is], the food was pretty bad.
▪ Be quiet and do what I tell you. = Be quiet and do as you're told. — usually followed by to + verb ▪ The police officer told him to stop. ▪ I was told to stay here. ▪ I'll tell them to meet us there at 6 o'clock. ▪ I told myself to pick up some milk on the way home, but I forgot to do it. ▪ You can't tell me what to do.
▪ When the dog scratches at the door, she is telling you that she wants to go outside. ▪ The oven will beep to tell you when it is preheated.
▪ The expressions on their faces told me everything I needed to know. ▪ The evidence tells us that there were two robbers. ▪ The signs will tell you what exit to take off the highway.
▪ I can definitely tell a/the difference between the two sauces. ▪ They look exactly the same. How can you tell which is which? ▪ I can't tell who is who with their uniforms on. ▪ He is old enough to tell right from wrong. [=to know what things are good and what things are bad]
all told — see 2all
don't tell me
informal 1 — used to show that you already know what someone is going to say especially because he or she often says such things ▪ “I have a favor to ask of you.” “Don't tell me—I bet you need to borrow more money, don't you?” 2 — used to express surprise and disappointment ▪ “Don't tell me the concert tickets were all sold out?!” “No, I bought the last two tickets.”
I/I'll tell you what also tell you what
informal — used to introduce a suggestion or to emphasize a statement ▪ (I'll) Tell you what—I'll let you borrow the car if you fill it up with gas. ▪ I tell you what, I wouldn't pay that much for a pair of shoes.
I told you (so)
informal — used to say to someone that you were right about something especially when that person disagreed with you ▪ “You were right after all.” “See. I told you so!”
tell against [phrasal verb]
tell against (someone) Brit, formal : to be a disadvantage to (someone)
▪ His unkempt appearance is bound to tell against him in court.
▪ His unkempt appearance is bound to tell against him in court.
tell apart [phrasal verb]
tell (someone or something) apart : to see what the differences are between (people or things) : to identify (people or things that look similar to each other)
▪ They look so much alike that I can barely/hardly/scarcely tell them apart. ▪ It is hard telling the twins apart.
▪ They look so much alike that I can barely/hardly/scarcely tell them apart. ▪ It is hard telling the twins apart.
tell it like it is
US, informal : to say what the facts are : to speak about unpleasant things in an honest way
▪ I don't want to offend anyone; I'm just telling it like it is. ▪ You can always count on John to tell it like it is.
▪ I don't want to offend anyone; I'm just telling it like it is. ▪ You can always count on John to tell it like it is.
tell me
— used in speech to introduce a question ▪ Tell me, is there a subway nearby? ▪ So tell me, what did you think of the movie?
tell me about it
informal — used to say that you understand what someone is talking about because you have had the same or a similar experience ▪ “Something is wrong with that computer.” “Yeah, tell me about it. I can never get it to work properly.”
tell of
[phrasal verb] formal + literary 1 tell of (something) a : to be evidence of (something) : indicate
▪ Her smile told of her good news. ▪ His rough hands tell of a hard life.
b : to describe (something) : to make the details of (something) known
▪ The article tells of her Arctic journey. ▪ The explorer's journals tell of a vast unexplored wilderness. 2 tell (someone) of (something) : to talk to (someone) about (something)
▪ He told us of his plans to move to the city.
▪ Her smile told of her good news. ▪ His rough hands tell of a hard life.
b : to describe (something) : to make the details of (something) known
▪ The article tells of her Arctic journey. ▪ The explorer's journals tell of a vast unexplored wilderness.
▪ He told us of his plans to move to the city.
tell off [phrasal verb]
tell (someone) off or tell off (someone) informal 1 US : to yell at or insult (someone who did or said something that made you angry)
▪ He wished that he could tell his boss off. — often + for ▪ She told him off for spreading rumors about her. 2 Brit : to criticize (someone) in an angry way from a position of authority — often + for ▪ The teacher told the girl off for talking during class.
▪ He wished that he could tell his boss off. — often + for ▪ She told him off for spreading rumors about her.
tell on [phrasal verb] 1 tell on (someone) informal : to tell someone in authority about the bad behavior or actions of (someone)
▪ Please don't tell on me. 2 tell on (someone or something) not used in progressive tenses : to have a noticeable effect on (someone or something)
▪ The stress began to tell on her face/health.
▪ Please don't tell on me.
▪ The stress began to tell on her face/health.
there's no telling
— used to say that it is impossible to know something with certainty ▪ There's no telling how long the strike will last.
you're telling me
informal — used to say that you already know and completely agree with something that was just said ▪ “This hot weather is brutal.” “You're telling me.”
