Tell definition

Tell as a verb

1. express in words

   "tell me what is bothering you"

   Same sense: say, state

2. let something be known

   "Tell them that you will be late"

3. narrate or give a detailed account of

   "Tell what happened"

   Same sense: recite, recount, narrate

4. give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority

   Same sense: say, order, enjoin

5. discern or comprehend

   "He could tell that she was unhappy"

6. inform positively and with certainty and confidence

   "I tell you that man is a crook!"

   Same sense: assure

7. give evidence

   "he was telling on all his former colleague"

   Same sense: evidence

8. mark as different

   Same sense: separate, tell apart, distinguish, differentiate, severalise, severalize, secernate, secern

Synonyms and antonyms

• say definition
• state definition
• recite
• recount
• narrate
• order definition
• enjoin
• assure
• evidence definition
• separate
• tell apart
• distinguish
• differentiate
• severalise
• severalize
• secernate
• secern

All synonyms of tell, sense by sense

How to say tell

Tell has 1 syllable and rhymes with well. Syllable counts and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.

Words that rhyme with tell

• well
• hell
• sell
• hotel
• cell
• fell
• bell
• el
• personnel
• smell
• shell
• spell

TELL in word games

Scrabble

4

Words With Friends

6

Anagrams

0

Is TELL a valid Scrabble word? Yes, it is in the ENABLE list most word games use. Check TELL in the word checker, or unscramble TELL to see the shorter words in its letters.