Reveal, disclose, divulge, tell, betray mean to make known what has been or should be concealed. We use tell with an indirect object and a to-infinitive to report a command or an instruction. Stories, jokes, lies you say that someone tells a story or a joke.
He's extremely funny when he tells a joke. You can also say that someone makes or cracks a joke. Definition of tell verb from the oxford advanced learner's dictionary.
[transitive] (of a person) to give information to somebody by speaking or writing. Tell something to somebody he told the news to. Feb 21, 2026noun tell (plural tells) (archaeology) a hill or mound, originally and especially in the middle east, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements.
To tell is to describe or announce something, either by speaking or writing. If you're going to be late to a movie, you should tell your friends so they can save you a seat. To narrate (a story, etc.) to (someone):
[no object] the story tells of the legend of king arthur. 'tells' means to communicate information or reveal something, often through spoken or nonverbal communication. It is often used in phrases like 'tell a lie' or idioms like 'tell it like it is.'
