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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

tell a story en · VERB

Meanings

  1. (ambitransitive, literally) To communicate a story in some way.
  2. (figuratively, intransitive, poetic) To display qualities which hint at or convey a past or history which is not explicitly told.
    • Every person's eyes tell their own story.
    • The bullet holes in the walls of these buildings tell a story of a more tumultuous time...
  3. To lie; to tell a lie
    • Jem gulped like a goldfish, hunched his shoulders and twitched his torso. “He’s goin‘ like that, only not like he means to.” “Are you telling me a story, Jem Finch?” Calpurnia’s voice hardened. “No Cal, I swear I’m not.” 1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
told a story Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
told a story Tense=Past lexicographic
tells a story Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
telling a story Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic