tell off

tell off
verb
reprimand
-

She told the misbehaving student off

• Syn: ↑brush down
• Hypernyms:
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s somebody

* * *

transitive verb
1. : to number and set apart; especially : to detail for special duty : count off : assign

told off a detail and put them to opening a trench — J.F.Dobie

men were told off for household duties — American Guide Series: Michigan

trains told off for the use of British soldiers — Robert Keable

told off to make a speech — A.P.Herbert

2. : to reprove severely : denounce, reprimand, scold

when she increases her nagging, I lose patience and tell her off quite brutally — Rex Ingamells

his growing disgust boils over, he tells off the boss — Hobe Morrison

in a mood to be told off, and they embraced most warmly the writers who scolded hardest — J.H.Jackson

* * *

tell off see under ↑tell1
• • •
Main Entry: ↑off
————————
tell off
1. To reprimand (informal)
2. To count off and detach on some special duty
• • •
Main Entry: ↑tell

* * *

ˌtell ˈoff [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they tell off he/she/it tells off present participle telling off past tense told off past participle told off] informal phrasal verb
to criticize someone angrily for doing something wrong
tell off for doing something:

The teacher told me off for talking again today.

be/​get told off:

I’m going to get told off for being late.

Thesaurus: to criticize stronglysynonym to say something, or to speak to someone in an angry waysynonym
Main entry: tell

* * *

tell off [phrasal verb]
tell (someone) off or tell off (someone) informal
1 US : to yell at or insult (someone who did or said something that made you angry)

He wished that he could tell his boss off.

— often + for

She told him off for spreading rumors about her.

2 Brit : to criticize (someone) in an angry way from a position of authority
— often + for

The teacher told the girl off for talking during class.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑tell

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Synonyms:
, ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • tell off — (someone) to tell someone that their behavior is not acceptable. I was told off by my best friend, and it was a long time before I could forgive her. He s always been obnoxious and it s about time someone told him off …   New idioms dictionary

  • tell off — [v] reprimand; criticize harshly berate, censure, chide, give piece of one’s mind*, give tongue lashing*, lecture, rail, rake over the coals*, rebuke, reproach, reprove, revile, scold, take to task*, tick off*, upbraid, vituperate; concepts 44,52 …   New thesaurus

  • tell off — phrasal verb [transitive] Word forms tell off : present tense I/you/we/they tell off he/she/it tells off present participle telling off past tense told off past participle told off informal to criticize someone angrily for doing something wrong… …   English dictionary

  • tell off someone — tell off (someone) to tell someone that their behavior is not acceptable. I was told off by my best friend, and it was a long time before I could forgive her. He s always been obnoxious and it s about time someone told him off …   New idioms dictionary

  • tell off — {v.} 1. To name or count one by one and give some special duty to; give a share to. * /Five boy scouts were told off to clean the camp./ 2. {informal} To speak to angrily or sharply; attack with words; scold. * /Mr. Black got angry and told off… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • tell off — {v.} 1. To name or count one by one and give some special duty to; give a share to. * /Five boy scouts were told off to clean the camp./ 2. {informal} To speak to angrily or sharply; attack with words; scold. * /Mr. Black got angry and told off… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • tell\ off — v 1. To name or count one by one and give some special duty to; give a share to. Five boy scouts were told off to clean the camp. 2. informal To speak to angrily or sharply; attack with words; scold. Mr. Black got angry and told off the boss.… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • tell off — PHRASAL VERB If you tell someone off, you speak to them angrily or seriously because they have done something wrong. [V n P] He never listened to us when we told him off... [V n P for n/ ing] I m always being told off for being so awkward... [V P …   English dictionary

  • tell off — informal oh, brother, did he ever tell you off See reprimand 1 …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • tell off — transitive verb Date: 1804 1. to number and set apart; especially to assign to a special duty < told off a detail and put them to opening a trench J. F. Dobie > 2. reprimand, excoriate < told him off for his arrogance > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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