toll

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈtōl 

1

: a tax or fee paid for some liberty or privilege (as of passing over a highway or bridge)

2

: compensation for services rendered: such as

a

: a charge for transportation

b

: a charge for a long-distance telephone call

3

: a grievous or ruinous price

inflation has taken its toll

especially : cost in life or health

the death toll from the hurricane

toll

2 of 5

verb (1)

tolled; tolling; tolls

intransitive verb

: to take or levy toll

transitive verb

1

a

: to exact part of as a toll

b

: to take as toll

2

: to exact a toll from (someone)

toll

3 of 5

verb (2)

tolled; tolling; tolls

intransitive verb

: to sound with slow measured strokes

the bell tolls solemnly

transitive verb

1

: to sound (a bell) by pulling the rope

2

a

: to give signal or announcement of

the clock tolled each hour

b

: to announce by tolling

church bells tolled the death of the bishop

c

: to call to or from a place or occasion

bells tolled the congregation to church

toll

4 of 5

noun (2)

: the sound of a tolling bell

toll

5 of 5

verb (3)

ˈtōl 

variants or tole

tolled or toled; tolling or toling

transitive verb

1

: allure, entice

2

a

: to entice (game) to approach

b

: to attract (fish) with scattered bait

c

: to lead or attract (domestic animals) to a desired point

Synonyms

Verb (2)

• ring

Examples of toll in a Sentence

Verb (2)

let the church bells joyously toll on this most happy occasion

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ninety-six of those killed were in Kerr County, the hardest-hit in Central Texas where the toll includes at least 36 children. —Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 July 2025

Harry has publicly voiced grievances about how the couple was treated during their time as senior working royals, citing issues around press intrusion, family tensions and the toll on their mental health. —Erin Hill, People.com, 12 July 2025

Verb

This time, Topping will dive deeper into the lives of the pioneers who built and shaped mountain life—from farmers and school founders to toll road operators and healers. —Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 6 July 2025

What to Know Eby talked about the possibility of tolling U.S. commercial trucks passing through British Columbia on their way to Alaska on the lawn of the Legislative Assembly building in Victoria this week. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English, from Vulgar Latin *tolonium, alteration of Late Latin telonium customhouse, from Greek tolōnion, from telōnēs collector of tolls, from telos tax, toll; perhaps akin to Greek tlēnai to bear

Verb (2)

Middle English, to pull, drag, toll (a bell), perhaps alteration of toilen to struggle — more at toil

Verb (3)

Middle English tollen, tolen; akin to Old English fortyllan to seduce

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing toll

• death toll
• sound/ring/toll the death knell
• take a/its toll
• toll call
• toll-free
• toll plaza

Rhymes for toll

• boal
• bole
• bowl
• coal
• droll
• foal
• goal
• hole
• knoll
• kol
• mole
• noll

Kids Definition

toll

1 of 3 noun

ˈtōl 

1

: a tax paid for a privilege (as the use of a highway or bridge)

2

: a charge paid for a service

3

: the cost in life or health

the death toll from the hurricane

toll

2 of 3 verb

1

: to announce or call by the sounding of a bell

2

: to sound with slow strokes

the bell tolls solemnly

toll

3 of 3 noun

: the sound of a tolling bell

Etymology

Noun

Middle English toll "a tax or fee paid to be allowed to do something," from early French toll (same meaning), derived from Latin telonium "a house where duties on imports are paid and ships' cargoes are checked," derived from Greek telos "tax, toll"

Verb

Middle English tollen "to pull, drag, or toll (a bell)," perhaps from Middle English toilen "to struggle"

Legal Definition

toll

1 of 3 noun

: a charge for the use of a transportation route or facility

broadly : a charge for use

a water toll

toll

2 of 3 verb

transitive verb

1

: to take away (as a right)

2

a

: to remove the effect of

the court did not toll the statute of repose after the statutory period had expired

b

: suspend sense 2a

toll the running of the statute of limitations

compare run

intransitive verb

: to be suspended

statute of limitations tolls for a period of seventy-five days following the notice

—Parker v. Yen, 823 S.W.2d 359 (1991)

toll

3 of 3 noun

: a suspension of effect

the court extended the statute of limitations toll

Etymology

Noun

Old English, tax or fee paid for a liberty or privilege, ultimately from Late Latin telonium custom house, from Greek tolōnion, from telōnēs collector of tolls, from telos tax, toll

Verb

Anglo-French tollir, toller to take away, make null, bar, ultimately from Latin tollere to lift up, take away