tells Meaning & Definition
What Does Tells Mean?
Tells is a verb that means third-person singular simple present indicative of tell. As a noun, it means plural of tell. As a noun, it means A reflexive, often habitual behavior, especially one occurring in a context that often features attempts at deception by persons under psychological stress (such as a poker game or police interrogation), that reveals information that the person exhibiting the behavior is attempting to withhold.
Tells: Key Facts
| Part of speech | verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /tɛlz/ |
| Synonyms | count, number and grass up |
| Antonyms | ask |
Tells Definition (Verb)
- third-person singular simple present indicative of tell
Tells as a Noun
- plural of tell
Noun
- A reflexive, often habitual behavior, especially one occurring in a context that often features attempts at deception by persons under psychological stress (such as a poker game or police interrogation), that reveals information that the person exhibiting the behavior is attempting to withhold.
- That which is told; a tale or account.
- A private message to an individual in a chat room; a whisper.
Verb
- (archaic outside of idioms) To count, reckon, or enumerate.
All told, there were over a dozen. Can you tell time on a clock? He had untold wealth.
- To narrate.
I want to tell a story; I want to tell you a story.
- To convey by speech; to say.
Finally, someone told him the truth. He seems to like to tell lies.
- To instruct or inform.
Please tell me how to do it.
- To order; to direct, to say to someone.
Tell him to go away.
- To discern, notice, identify or distinguish.
Can you tell whether those flowers are real or silk, from this distance? No, there's no way to tell.
- To reveal.
Time will tell what became of him.
- To be revealed.
- To have an effect, especially a noticeable one; to be apparent, to be demonstrated.
Sir Gerald was moving slower; his wounds were beginning to tell.
- To use (beads or similar objects) as an aid to prayer.
- To inform someone in authority about a wrongdoing.
I saw you steal those sweets! I'm going to tell!
- (authorship) To reveal information in prose through outright expository statement -- contrasted with show
Maria rewrote the section of her novel that talked about Meg and Sage's friendship to have less telling and more showing.
Noun
- A hill or mound, originally and especially in the Middle East, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements.
Synonyms of Tells
Tells synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Tells
Tells in a Sentence
All told, there were over a dozen. Can you tell time on a clock? He had untold wealth.
I want to tell a story; I want to tell you a story.
Finally, someone told him the truth. He seems to like to tell lies.
Please tell me how to do it.
Tell him to go away.
Can you tell whether those flowers are real or silk, from this distance? No, there's no way to tell.
Time will tell what became of him.
Sir Gerald was moving slower; his wounds were beginning to tell.
I saw you steal those sweets! I'm going to tell!
Maria rewrote the section of her novel that talked about Meg and Sage's friendship to have less telling and more showing.
Word Forms & Grammar
tells
Words That Rhyme With Tells
Frequently Asked Questions About Tells
Is tells a verb or a noun?
Tells is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for tells?
Words with a similar meaning to tells include count, number and grass up. See the full list of tells synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of tells?
The opposite of tells is ask.