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Tell Off for Dummies

verb

pronunciation: tɛl_ɔf

What does Tell Off really mean?

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"Tell Off" means to express strong disapproval or anger towards someone by speaking to them forcefully or harshly.

Imagine you are at a playground and you see two kids, let's call them Amy and Ben, playing together. Amy is not being very nice to Ben, constantly teasing and being mean. Ben feels upset and hurt, but he doesn't say anything to Amy about it. Eventually, Ben reaches a point where he can't take it anymore, and he decides to "tell off" Amy. This means that Ben would use strong words, maybe raise his voice a little, and sternly express to Amy that he does not appreciate her behavior.

When someone is "told off," it's like receiving a scolding. It's a way for the person doing the "telling off" to express their feelings of anger, disappointment, or frustration towards another person's actions. So, when you "tell someone off" you are essentially using strong words to let them know that what they're doing is wrong, hurtful, or unacceptable.

For example, you might have experienced being "told off" by a parent or a teacher when you do something wrong. They might speak to you in a firm and serious tone, using strong words to express their disapproval of your behavior. It's similar to being reprimanded or getting a scolding.

So, next time you hear someone say they "told off" someone else, it means they expressed their strong disapproval or anger through forceful and harsh words, scolding the other person for their actions.


Revised and Fact checked by Ava Hernandez on 2023-10-30 05:10:32

Tell Off In a sentece

Learn how to use Tell Off inside a sentece

  • When my sister broke my toy, I had to tell her off and explain that she shouldn't touch my things without permission.
  • During class, the teacher had to tell off a student who was talking loudly and disrupting the lesson.
  • I had to tell off my little brother when he disobeyed our parents and tried to eat all the cookies before dinner.
  • The coach had to tell off one of the players for not following the team's strategy during the game.
  • My mom had to tell off our dog when he chewed up her favorite pair of shoes.

Tell Off Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

brush down

Tell Off Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

bawl out berate call down call on the carpet chew out chew up chide dress down have words jaw lambast lambaste lecture rag rebuke remonstrate reprimand scold take to task trounce