tale

noun

ˈtāl 

1

a

: a usually imaginative narrative of an event : story

b

: an intentionally untrue report : falsehood

always preferred the tale to the truth

—Sir Winston Churchill

2

a

: a series of events or facts told or presented : account

b(1)

: a report of a private or confidential matter

dead men tell no tales

(2)

: a libelous report or piece of gossip

3

a

: count, tally

b

: total

4

obsolete : discourse, talk

Synonyms

• story
• whisper

Examples of tale in a Sentence

The movie is a stirring tale of courage.

We listened to his familiar tale of woe as he talked again about the failure of his marriage.

He told us thrilling tales about his adventures as a pilot in the war.

Are you telling tales again? Or is that the truth?

Recent Examples on the Web

Folklorist Thomas Keightley tells the tale of a kobold named Hödeken who was insulted by a kitchen boy who kept spraying water at him. —Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025

Yet, as Jimenez’s tale shows, this shrinking group has stories to share. —Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2025

The lore of the position is passed between players like travelers telling tales at a campfire. —Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Del Toro's love of Hammer horror is evident throughout, crafting a spooky psychological tale in which style and substance are intertwined. —Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English talu; akin to Old Norse tala talk

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing tale

• fairy tale
• old wives' tale
• spin a tale
• tale of woe
• tale-teller
• tall tale/story
• thereby hangs a tale

Rhymes for tale

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail

Kids Definition

tale

noun

ˈtā(ə)l 

1

: something told

a tale of woe

2

: a story about an imaginary event

a fairy tale

3

: a false story : lie

4

: a piece of harmful gossip

spread tales about us