Englishtell
verb
1 why didn't you tell me about this before?:
inform, let know, notify, apprise, make aware, mention something to, acquaint with, advise, put in the picture, brief, fill in, break the news to;
alert, warn, forewarn;
informal clue in.
2 I hope you are telling the truth | she was crying as she told the story:
speak, utter, say, voice, state, declare;
communicate, make known, impart, divulge, announce, proclaim, broadcast;
relate, recount, narrate, give an account of, set forth, unfold, retail, report, chronicle, recite, rehearse, describe, portray, sketch, delineate, depict, paint, weave, spin.
3 Corbett told him to leave:
instruct, order, give orders, command, direct, charge, enjoin, call on, require;
literary bid.
4 I tell you, I did nothing wrong:
assure, promise, give someone one's word, swear, guarantee;
dated warrant.
5 the figures tell a different story:
reveal, show, be/give evidence of, disclose, indicate, convey, signify;
display, exhibit.
6 promise you won't tell?:
give the game away, talk, tell tales, open one's mouth, tattle;
informal spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, blab;
British, informal blow the gaff.
▷antonyms keep a secret.
7 he was afraid she would tell on him:
inform on/against, tell tales on, give away, denounce, sell out, stab someone in the back;
informal blow the whistle on, rat on, peach on, squeal on, squeak on, sell down the river;
British, informal grass on, sneak on, shop, stitch up, do the dirty on, split on;
North American, informal rat out, drop a/the dime on, finger;
Australian, New Zealand, informal dob on, pimp on, pool, shelf, put someone's pot on;
rare delate.
8 it was hard to tell what he was thinking:
ascertain, decide, determine, work out, make out, deduce, discern, perceive, see, identify, recognize, understand, comprehend;
be sure, be certain;
informal figure out, get a fix on;
British, informal suss out.
9 he didn't look as if he could tell a Renoir from a Renault:
distinguish, differentiate, tell apart, discriminate.
10 the strain of supporting the family was beginning to tell on him:
take its toll on, leave its mark on, have an adverse effect on, affect.
□ tell someone off
informal
my parents told me off for coming home late:
reprimand, rebuke, reproach, scold, admonish, reprove, remonstrate with, chastise, chide, upbraid, berate, take to task, pull up, castigate, lambast, read someone the Riot Act, give someone a piece of one's mind, haul over the coals, criticize, censure;
informal give someone a talking-to, give someone a telling-off, dress down, give someone a dressing-down, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, give someone a rocket, give someone a rollicking, rap, rap someone over the knuckles, slap someone's wrist, let someone have it, bawl out, give someone hell, come down on, blow up, pitch into, lay into, lace into, give someone a caning, blast, rag, keelhaul;
British, informal tick off, have a go at, carpet, monster, give someone a mouthful, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for, wig, give someone a wigging, give someone a row, row;
North American, informal chew out, ream out;
British, vulgar slang bollock, give someone a bollocking, tear someone a new arsehole, rip someone a new arsehole;
North American, vulgar slang chew someone's ass, ream someone's ass, tear someone a new asshole, rip someone a new asshole;
dated call down, rate, give someone a rating, trim;
rare reprehend, objurgate.
▷antonyms praise.
tell (1) Oxford Dictionary of English