Dictionary

tell off en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (transitive) To number off (a group of soldiers); to divide up (soldiers) in this way.
   • To equalize a battalion is to tell off a certain number of companies, usually eight, in such a manner that the several component parts shall consist of the same number of men. 1885, Edward Farrow, A Dictionary of Military Terms:
2. (transitive) To assign (someone) to a particular task, duty etc.; to depute, to allocate.
   • The provisions were packed over night and sent down by boat, in charge of the steward of the Gtdnare or some person specially told off for the purpose. 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 63:
   • When they were quite ready, the now triumphant Toad led his companions to the paddock and set them to capture the old grey horse, who, without having been consulted, and to his own extreme annoyance, had been told off by Toad for the dustiest job in this dusty expedition. He frankly preferred the paddock, and took a deal of catching. 1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, London: Methuen, page 17:
3. (transitive) To count off (numbers, members of a sequence etc.); to enumerate.
   • The Recruit looked thoughtful and told off the days on his fingers. 1903, Field and Stream, page 755:
4. (transitive) To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish, often in a harsh, angry, direct way.
   • Joel's boss told him off for being late again.

Forms

Synonyms

enumerate (count) · number · give somebody what-for · read somebody the riot act · scold · give somebody a piece of one's mind (rebuke)

Translations (57)

es leer la cartilla (to rebuke) · de ausschimpfen (to rebuke) · ru отчитывать (to rebuke) · cy ceryddu (to rebuke) · fi haukkua (to rebuke) · it dare una lavata di capo (to rebuke) · quc yajik (to rebuke) · fr passer un savon (to rebuke) · de zählen (to count members of a sequence, enumerate) · tr paylamak (to rebuke) · it sgridare (to rebuke) · ru распекать (to rebuke) · pl wyliczyć (to count members of a sequence, enumerate) · pl zbesztać (to rebuke) · pl ochrzanić (to rebuke) · bg сгълчвам (to rebuke) · gl rifar (to rebuke) · eo sapumi la okulojn (to rebuke) · es poner a parir (to rebuke) · it ammonire (to rebuke) · fi läksyttää (to rebuke) · pl wyliczać (to count members of a sequence, enumerate) · de aufzählen (to count members of a sequence, enumerate) · eo admoni (to rebuke) · es poner como chupa de dómine (to rebuke) · lld bruntlé (to rebuke) · tr azarlamak (to rebuke) · sk vynadať (to rebuke) · cy dwrdio (to rebuke) · nl berispen (to rebuke) · ar وَبَّخَ (to rebuke) · kw keredhi (to rebuke) · es reprehender (to rebuke) · sv skälla ut (to rebuke) · pt dar uma bronca (to rebuke) · pl ochrzaniać (to rebuke) · fi luetella (to count members of a sequence, enumerate) · quc yajonik (to rebuke) · de tadeln (to rebuke) · es poner a caldo (to rebuke) · pl besztać (to rebuke) · pl upomnieć (to rebuke) · bg гълча (to rebuke) · de durchzählen (to count members of a sequence, enumerate) · cs vynadat (to rebuke) · es regañar (to rebuke) · es cantar las cuarenta (to rebuke) · yue 話 /话 (to rebuke) · es sermonear (to rebuke) · cy dweud y drefn wrth (to rebuke) · bg сгълча (to rebuke) · es poner de vuelta y media (to rebuke) · es poner verde (to rebuke) · pl upominać (to rebuke) · de abzählen (to count members of a sequence, enumerate) · es reprender (to rebuke) · es amonestar (to rebuke)