english
1
general::
verb
inform:
I will tell them you are here.
verb
disclose:
You must tell the police what you know.
verb
ordered:
The officer told the army to attack.
verb
distinguish:
Can you tell which is which?
Simple Definitions
2
general::
tell sth/sb apart
to be able to see the difference between two very similar things or people
• As babies, the twins were so alike that I just couldn't tell them apart., tell against sb/sth
UK formal
to make someone or something more likely to fail
• His reputation as a troublemaker told against him when he tried to change his job.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
3
general::
In addition to the idioms beginning with TELL, Also see DO TELL; KISS AND TELL; SHOW AND TELL; SOMETHING TELLS ME; THERE'S NO TELLING; THING OR TWO, TELL A; TIME WILL TELL; WHICH IS WHICH, TELL; YOU NEVER CAN TELL; YOU' RE TELLING ME. Also see under TOLD.
American Heritage Idioms
4
general::
tell
nouns
tell a story/tale
• He then told the story of how he was injured while riding his motorcycle.
tell a joke
• They sat around telling terrible jokes.
tell somebody a secret
• I offered to tell her my secret if she didn’t tell anyone else.
tell a lie
• They told lies about us.
tell the truth
• ‘I’m telling you the truth,’ she persisted.
transnet.ir
5
general::
tell
to give someone information by speaking or writing to them:
• She wrote to tell me she was getting married. • Can you tell us where the nearest garage is?
let somebody know
especially spoken to tell someone something when you know more about it:
• Let me know your new address as soon as you can. • Let us know what happens at the interview.
pass a message on to somebody
( also pass it on informal ) to tell another person the information that has been told to you:
• She’s with a client at the moment, but I’ll pass the message on to her. • If I get any news, I’ll pass it on.
brief
to give someone all the necessary information about a situation, so that they can do their work:
• Police officers were briefed before going out to arrest the suspects.
relate
formal to tell someone about something that happened to you or to someone else:
• One girl related a story about a friend who had accidentally become pregnant.
recount
formal to tell someone about a series of events:
• The guide recounted the history of the castle, from the 1300s onwards.
bring something to sb’s attention
to tell someone about something that they did not know about, but which they need to know about:
• I wanted to bring the matter to your attention. • She was the first person to study the effects of pesticides, and to bring them to people’s attention.
fill somebody in
informal to tell someone about things that have happened recently, especially at work:
• Can you fill Robert in on the progress we’ve made while he’s been on holiday?
to officially tell someone
inform
to officially tell someone about something:
• Do you think we ought to inform the police? • Doctors should inform patients about the possible side effects of any drugs they prescribe.
announce
to tell people publicly and officially about something:
• The university chancellor announced his resignation on Friday. • It was announced that the company had made a profit of $6 billion.
report
to officially tell someone about something that has happened:
• She was able to report that the project was nearly finished.
notify
formal to tell someone officially about something that has happened or that is planned to happen:
• Staff were notified several months in advance that they would be losing their jobs.
Longman-Thesaurus
6
general::
verb give sb information ADV. bluntly, curtly, flatly She told me bluntly it was my own fault. | gravely | smugly | truthfully | falsely VERB + TELL want to | be going to I was going to tell you?I just didn't get round to it. | try to | hate to I hate to tell you, but the car's a write-off. | let sb I tried to tell them but they wouldn't let me. PREP. about I never told him about the money. | of No one had told her of the dangers. | to He told the story to all his friends. order sb ADV. firmly, sternly ‘Calm down,’ he told her firmly.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary