Definition Synonyms
Definition of told - Reverso English Dictionary
Adjective
1.
communicationhaving been informed or instructed
- She felt relieved after being told about the changes.
2.
storytellingRare narrated or recountedRare
- The told story captivated everyone in the room.
Expressions with told
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in total or overall
All told, there were 50 participants in the event.
receive sharp spoken criticism for doing something wrong or inappropriate
I might get told off if I miss the meeting again.
speak honestly and directly without hiding the truth
She told it like it is during the meeting.
received information from an undisclosed source
A little bird told me you're getting a promotion.
heard information from someone without saying who
A little birdie told me it's your birthday.
used to admit something
truth be told, I didn't like the movie..
follow the instructions given by someone
You must do as you are told in class.
follow instructions given by someone without arguing
You need to do as you're told in class.
not to be shared with others
The information was told in confidence and should not be disclosed.
used to assert that one's prediction was correct
I told you so when it started raining.
story of significant impact or importance
The movie was hailed as the greatest story ever told.
reminder of previous warning
When the car broke down, she said, 'I told you so.'
expression of being corrected or reprimanded humorously
After forgetting the meeting, he said, 'That's me told.'.
receive instructions or orders from someone else
I don't like to be told what to do.
repeated or recounted often
The twice-told tale lost its charm after several gatherings..
claim of knowing something without revealing who shared the information
"My little finger told me," she said, refusing to name her source.
Origin of told
Old English, tellan (to count or recount)
Terms with told included in their meaning
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cinema
story told through moving images shown on screen
costs features
not shown or told at first, but added later
guessing games
admit you cannot guess an answer and ask to be told
ancient tale
narrative from the past often told many times
thoughts
know what someone is thinking without being told
work
told someone they must leave their job
reassurance
told to someone to reassure them and prevent worry or panic
instructions
follow instructions exactly as shown or told
publications
magazines or books with stories told in pictures
formal account
made known or told about in a formal way
task or plan
do something that was planned or told to do
culture story
traditional story told in a culture, often passed down orally
secret
deliberately not told something
harmless lie
small lie told to avoid hurting feelings
self-motivated
without being told or asked
storytelling
story of events told from one person’s own experience
narrative
perspective from which a story is told
guessing thoughts
know what someone is thinking without being told
self-start
take action without being told
medical instruction
because a doctor has told someone to do it
independence
act independently without being told
harmless lie
small lie told to avoid hurting feelings or trouble
courtroom
stand up together when told in a formal setting
given notice
officially told about something
Examples of told in a sentence
They were told about the new policy. The told tale was full of wonder. The told legend inspired many.
View all translations of told
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:informé, raconté, ...
- German:informiert, erzählt, ...
- Italian:informato, narrato, ...
- Spanish:informado, contado, ...
- Portuguese:informada, narrada, ...
- Chinese:被告知的, 讲述的, ...
- Japanese:知らされた, 語られた, ...
- Arabic:مُخْبَر, مَرْوِي, ...
- Hebrew:מוּדָע, מְסֻפָּר, ...
- Russian:проинформированный, рассказанный, ...
- Ukrainian:проінформований, розказаний, ...
- Hindi:बताया गया, कहा गया, ...
Definition of tell - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
informtr. convey information to someonetr.
- She will tell him the news.
2.
instructtr. order or instruct someone to do somethingtr.
- I told him to clean his room..
3.
storytellingtr./intr. narrate a story or eventtr./intr.
- He loves to tell ghost stories.
4.
recognitiontr. discern or recognize differencestr.
- Can you tell the twins apart?
5.
communicationtr. reveal a secret or informationtr.
- He promised not to tell anyone.
6.
lawtr. UK inform someone in authority about a wrongdoingtr. UK
- The child went to tell on his friend.
7.
impactintr. have a noticeable or significant effectintr.
- The wear and tear could tell on the machinery..
Noun
1.
pokerbehavior revealing hidden information
- His nervous tapping was a tell during the game.
2.
archaeologyTECH. archaeological mound or hill indicating human habitationTECH.
- The team excavated the tell for ancient artifacts..
3.
internetRare US private message in a chat roomRare US
- She sent him a tell to join the game.
Images of tell

archaeological mound or hill indicating human habitation
Expressions with tell
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tell everything without emphasis on secrecy
He was asked to tell all about his day.
see differences between similar things
I can't tell apart the twins.
recognize differences between two or more things
I can tell from his accent that he's French.
reprimand someone in a harsh manner
She told him off for being late.
difficult to determine or decide
It's hard to tell if it will rain today.
expresses uncertainty about future events or outcomes
You never can tell what will happen next.
say something untrue to avoid hurting someone
She decided to tell a white lie to avoid hurting his feelings.
say something else
That joke was funny, tell me another one.
distinguish between morally correct and incorrect actions
She learned to tell right from wrong at a young age.
predict someone's future using supernatural methods
The psychic will tell your fortune using tarot cards.
indicates inability to know something
Who can tell why she left so suddenly?
expresses uncertainty about future events or outcomes
You can never tell what the weather will be like.
used to prompt someone to give their opinion
"What do you think of the movie?" "You tell me."
express mild interest or surprise in conversation
Oh, do tell me more about your trip!
the future will reveal the outcome of a situation
Only time can tell if their relationship will last.
predict someone's future using mystical methods
She claims she can tell fortunes with tarot cards.
to speak frankly, conveying all and only the truth of a situation
She always tells it like it is, no matter who is listening..
inform an authority about someone's wrongdoing
She threatened to tell on him to the teacher.
speak honestly and directly to someone
I decided to tell him straight about my feelings.
report someone for doing something wrong
He likes to tell tales about his classmates.
only time can reveal the outcome of events
Only time alone will tell if they succeed.
the future will reveal the truth or outcome
Only time will tell if the plan works.
reveal a secret to someone trusted
Please don't tell a soul about this.
based on available information, this is the best guess
As near as Maria can tell, the show starts at eight tonight.
Origin of tell
Old English, tellan (to count)
Examples of tell in a sentence
Please tell me your decision by tomorrow. She told him to stay quiet. They told us to wait outside. She will tell the tale of their adventure. Grandpa likes to tell stories from his youth. I can tell the difference between real and fake smiles.
It's hard to tell which one is the original painting. She couldn't help but tell the truth. Don't tell the secret to anyone else. She threatened to tell on the student who cheated. If you tell on them, the principal will investigate. The stress began to tell on her face. His hard work will tell in the final results. His constant blinking was a tell in the poker match. A slight smirk was her tell during the game. The tell revealed layers of ancient civilizations. Archaeologists mapped the tell to understand its history. He received a tell about the secret meeting. A tell popped up with the latest news.
View all translations of tell
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:informer, signe révélateur, ...
- German:mitteilen, Anzeichen, ...
- Italian:dire, segnale, ...
- Spanish:contar, indicio, ...
- Portuguese:informar, sinal, ...
- Chinese:告诉, 迹象, ...
- Japanese:伝える, 癖, ...
- Arabic:أَخْبَرَ, إشارة, ...
- Hebrew:לְהוֹדִיעַ, סִימָן מַסְגִּיר, ...
- Russian:сообщить, сигнал, ...
- Ukrainian:повідомляти, знак, ...
- Hindi:बताना, टेल, ...
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