tell

1 to give an oral or written account of in some detail they told the story of how they had met Synonyms chart, chronicle, describe, narrate, recite, recount, rehearse, relate, report Related Words deliver, give, reel off, state, utter, voice; detail, enumerate, itemize, particularize; bare, disclose, divulge, expose, let on (about), reveal; delineate, depict, express, render, sketch Phrases set forth

2 to express (a thought or emotion) in words just tell us what is in your heart Synonyms articulate, bring out, enunciate, pass, speak, state, talk, say, utter, verbalize, vocalizeRelated Words air, discuss, give, look, share, sound, vent, ventilate, voice; blabber, bolt, blurt, get off, shoot; advertise, announce, blaze, broadcast, declare, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish; affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow; breathe, chirp, drawl, gasp, lip, mouth, murmur, purr, shout, splutter, spout, whisper; clothe, couch, formulate, formulize, phrase, put, word; comment, pipe up (with), remark; rip (out), snarlNear Antonyms stifle, suppress

3 to find the sum of (a collection of things) by noting each one as it is being added who can tell the number of grains of sand in the world? Synonyms enumerate, number, countRelated Words add (up), tally, total; calculate, compute, reckon, table, tabulate; check, mark, tick (off); recount

4 to give information to tell me, when did you begin playing the violin? Synonyms acquaint, advise, apprise, brief, catch up, clear, clue (in), familiarize, fill in, hip, inform, instruct, enlighten, verse, wise (up)Related Words advertise, alert, notify; announce (to), disclose (to); assure, certify, convince, reassure, warrant; educate, lecture, school, teach, tutor; disabuse, disenchant, disillusion, undeceiveNear Antonyms misinform, mislead

5 to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority told us to sit still and wait Synonyms adjure, bid, boss (around), charge, direct, enjoin, instruct, order, commandRelated Words ask, petition, request; beg, beseech, entreat; advise, counsel, warn; appoint, assign, authorize, commission; oversee, superintend, supervise; conduct, control, lead, manage; coerce, compel, constrain, force, oblige, requireNear Antonyms comply (with), follow, keep, observeAntonyms mind, obey

6 to make known (as information previously kept secret) I won't tell your secret to anyone Synonyms bare, disclose, discover, divulge, expose, let on (about), spill, reveal, unbosom, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveilRelated Words confide, share; debunk, show up; unclothe, undrape; advertise, announce, blaze, bring out, broadcast, declare, placard, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, sound; betray, blab, give away, leak; inform, squeal, talk; communicate, impart, relate; acknowledge, admit, avow, concede, confess, own; disinter, rake up, smoke out, unearthNear Antonyms camouflage, disguise; gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash; becloud, bedim, befog, cloud, darken, eclipse, obscure, overcast, overshadow, shadeAntonyms cloak, conceal, cover (up), enshroud, hide, mask, shroud, veil