tells

verbcommunicate
verbnarrate, describe
verbunderstand, discern
verbcarry weight
verbcalculate

Antonyms for tells

Word Origin & History

Old English tellan "to reckon, calculate, consider, account," from Proto-Germanic *taljanan "to mention in order" (cf. Old Saxon tellian, Old Norse telja, Old Frisian tella "to count, tell," Dutch tellen "to count, reckon," Old Saxon talon "to count, reckon," Danish tale "to speak," Old High German zalon, German zählen "to count, reckon"), from root *talo (see tale). Meaning "to narrate, relate" is from c.1000; that of "to make known by speech or writing, announce" is from early 12c. Sense of "to reveal or disclose" is from c.1400; that of "to act as an informer, to 'peach' " is recorded from 1901. Meaning "to order (someone to do something)" is from 1590s. Original sense in teller and phrase to tell time. For sense evolution, cf. French conter "to count," raconter "to recount;" Italian contare, Spanish contar "to count, recount, narrate;" German zählen "to count," erzählen "to recount, narrate."

Telling "having effect or force" is from 1852.

Example Sentences fortells

Phim sticks to it, too; tells me my peg is downright encouragement to the bacteria.

You do like I tells yer, or yer'll git yer eggercation wid a brick.

Grievously disordered they appear to be, as Hannah tells me.

He tells me of the patterns bespoken which my mother mentioned to me.'

For still, as she tells me, he speaks kind and praiseful things of me.

Mrs. Elwood tells me that she informed the caretaker yesterday of our coming.

So the letter ran; and that tells volumes to the initiated about young Haskell.

It is Lady Macbeth who plays this part; she tells Macbeth to "get some water,"

Milly tells me you've never been in the city before; that you are studying at Barnard.

She will be down as soon as Katy tells her you're here, no doubt.