Give vs. Tell — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Give and Tell
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Compare with Definitions
Give
Freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone)
He gave the papers back
The cheque given to the jeweller proved worthless
She gave him presents and clothes
Tell
Communicate information to someone in spoken or written words
We must be told the facts
‘We have nothing in common,’ she told him
He's telling the truth
I told her you were coming
Give
Cause or allow (someone or something) to have or experience (something); provide with
You gave me such a fright
This leaflet gives our opening times
Tell
Decide or determine correctly or with certainty
I couldn't tell if he believed me
You can tell they're in love
Give
Carry out or perform (a specified action)
He gave the counter a polish
I gave a bow
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Tell
(of an experience or period of time) have a noticeable, typically harmful, effect on someone
The strain of supporting the family was beginning to tell on him
Give
Yield as a product or result
Milk is sometimes added to give a richer cheese
Tell
Count (the members of a group)
The shepherd had told all his sheep
Give
Concede (something) as valid or deserved in respect of (someone)
Give him his due
Tell
(especially in poker) an unconscious action that is thought to betray an attempted deception.
Give
State or put forward (information or argument)
He did not give his name
Tell
(in the Middle East) an artificial mound formed by the accumulated remains of ancient settlements.
Give
Alter in shape under pressure rather than resist or break
That chair doesn't give
Tell
To communicate by speech or writing; express with words
She told him that the store was closed. Tell me the truth.
Give
Capacity to bend or alter in shape under pressure
Plastic pots that have enough give to accommodate the vigorous roots
Tell
To give a detailed account of; narrate
Told what happened.
Told us a story.
Give
To make a present of
We gave her flowers for her birthday.
Tell
To notify (someone) of something; inform
He told us of his dream to sail around the world.
Give
To place in the hands of; pass
Give me the scissors.
Tell
To make known; disclose or reveal
Tell a secret.
Tell fortunes.
Give
To deliver in exchange or recompense; pay
Gave five dollars for the book.
Tell
To inform (someone) positively; assure
I tell you, the plan will work.
Give
To let go for a price; sell
Gave the used car away for two thousand dollars.
Tell
To give instructions to; direct
Told the customers to wait in line.
Give
To administer
Give him some cough medicine.
Tell
To discover by observation; discern
We could tell that he was upset.
Give
To convey by a physical action
Gave me a punch in the nose.
Tell
To name or number one by one; count
Telling one's blessings.
16 windows, all told.
Give
To inflict as punishment
Was given life imprisonment for the crime.
Tell
To relate a story or give an account of an event
The sailor told of having been adrift for days.
Give
To bestow, especially officially; confer
The Bill of Rights gives us freedom of speech.
Tell
To reveal something that is not supposed to be revealed, especially something that someone has done wrong
She promised not to tell on her friend.
Give
To accord or tender to another
Give him your confidence.
Tell
To have an effect or impact
In this game every move tells.
Give
To put temporarily at the disposal of
Gave them the cottage for a week.
Tell
An unintentional or unconsciously exhibited behavior that reveals or betrays one's state of mind, as when playing poker.
Give
To entrust to another, usually for a specified reason
Gave me the keys for safekeeping.
Tell
A mound, especially in the Middle East, made up of the remains of a succession of previous settlements.
Give
To communicate, convey, or offer for conveyance
Give him my best wishes. Give us the latest news.
Tell
To count, reckon, or enumerate.
All told, there were over a dozen.
Can you tell time on a clock?
He had untold wealth.
Give
To endure the loss of; sacrifice
Gave her son to the war.
Gave her life for her country.
Tell
To narrate.
I want to tell a story;
I want to tell you a story.
Give
To devote or apply completely
Gives herself to her work.
Tell
To convey by speech; to say.
Finally, someone told him the truth.
He seems to like to tell lies.
Give
To furnish or contribute
Gave their time to help others.
Tell
(transitive) To instruct or inform.
Please tell me how to do it.
Give
To offer in good faith; pledge
Give me your word.
Tell
(transitive) To order; to direct, to say to someone.
Tell him to go away.
Give
To allot as a portion or share.
Tell
To discern, notice, identify or distinguish.
Can you tell whether those flowers are real or silk, from this distance?
No, there's no way to tell.
I can tell you're upset.
An expert can tell an original from a forgery.
Give
To bestow (a name, for example).
Tell
(transitive) To reveal.
Time will tell what became of him.
Give
To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
Tell
(intransitive) To be revealed.
Give
To award as due
Gave us first prize.
Tell
(intransitive) To have an effect, especially a noticeable one; to be apparent, to be demonstrated.
Sir Gerald was moving slower; his wounds were beginning to tell.
Give
To emit or utter
Gave a groan.
Gave a muted response.
Tell
To use (beads or similar objects) as an aid to prayer.
Give
To submit for consideration, acceptance, or use
Give an opinion.
Give an excuse.
Tell
To inform someone in authority about a wrongdoing.
I saw you steal those sweets! I'm telling!
Give
To proffer to another
Gave the toddler my hand.
Tell
To reveal information in prose through outright expository statement -- contrasted with show
Maria rewrote the section of her novel that talked about Meg and Sage's friendship to have less telling and more showing.
Give
To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with another person.
Tell
A reflexive, often habitual behavior, especially one occurring in a context that often features attempts at deception by persons under psychological stress (such as a poker game or police interrogation), that reveals information that the person exhibiting the behavior is attempting to withhold.
Give
To perform for an audience
Give a recital.
Tell
(archaic) That which is told; a tale or account.
Give
To present to view
Gave the sign to begin.
Tell
(internet) A private message to an individual in a chat room; a whisper.
Give
To offer as entertainment
Give a dinner party.
Tell
(archaeology) A hill or mound, originally and especially in the Middle East, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements.
Give
To propose as a toast.
Tell
To mention one by one, or piece by piece; to recount; to enumerate; to reckon; to number; to count; as, to tell money.
He telleth the number of the stars.
Tell the joints of the body.
Give
To be a source of; afford
His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
Tell
To utter or recite in detail; to give an account of; to narrate.
Of which I shall tell all the array.
And not a man appears to tell their fate.
Give
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition)
The draft gave me a cold.
Tell
To make known; to publish; to disclose; to divulge.
Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Give
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase
You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
Tell
To give instruction to; to make report to; to acquaint; to teach; to inform.
A secret pilgrimage,That you to-day promised to tell me of?
Give
To yield or produce
Cows give milk.
Tell
To order; to request; to command.
He told her not to be frightened.
Give
To bring forth or bear
Trees that give fruit.
Tell
To discern so as to report; to ascertain by observing; to find out; to discover; as, I can not tell where one color ends and the other begins.
Give
To produce as a result of calculation
5 × 12 gives 60.
Tell
To make account of; to regard; to reckon; to value; to estimate.
I ne told no dainity of her love.
Give
To manifest or show
Gives promise of brilliance.
Gave evidence of tampering.
Tell
To give an account; to make report.
That I may publish with the voice of thankgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
Give
To carry out (a physical movement)
Give a wink.
Give a start.
Tell
To take effect; to produce a marked effect; as, every shot tells; every expression tells.
Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David.
Give
To permit one to have or take
Gave us an hour to finish.
Tell
That which is told; tale; account.
I am at the end of my tell.
Give
To take an interest to the extent of
"My dear, I don't give a damn" (Margaret Mitchell).
Tell
A hill or mound.
Give
To make gifts or donations
Gives generously to charity.
Tell
A Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer; according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap)
Give
To yield to physical force
The sail gave during the storm.
Tell
Express in words;
He said that he wanted to marry her
Tell me what is bothering you
State your opinion
State your name
Give
To collapse from force or pressure
The roof gave under the weight of the snow.
Tell
Let something be known;
Tell them that you will be late
Give
To yield to change
Both sides will have to give on some issues.
Tell
Narrate or give a detailed account of;
Tell what happened
The father told a story to his child
Give
To afford access or a view; open
The doors give onto a terrace.
Tell
Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority;
I said to him to go home
She ordered him to do the shopping
The mother told the child to get dressed
Give
(Slang) To be in progress; happen
What gives?.
Tell
Discern or comprehend;
He could tell that she was unhappy
Give
Capacity or inclination to yield under pressure.
Tell
Inform positively and with certainty and confidence;
I tell you that man is a crook!
Give
The quality or condition of resilience; springiness
"Fruits that have some give ... will have more juice than hard ones" (Elizabeth Schneider).
Tell
Give evidence;
He was telling on all his former colleague
Give
(ditransitive) To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
Tell
Mark as different;
We distinguish several kinds of maple
Give
To transfer one's possession or holding of (something) to (someone).
I gave him my coat.
I gave my coat to the beggar.
When they asked, I gave my coat.
Give
To make a present or gift of.
I'm going to give my wife a necklace for her birthday.
She gave a pair of shoes to her husband for their anniversary.
He gives of his energies to the organization.
Give
To pledge.
I gave him my word that I'd protect his children.
Give
To provide (something) to (someone), to allow or afford.
I gave them permission to miss tomorrow's class.
Please give me some more time.
Give
To cause (a sensation or feeling) to exist in.
It gives me a lot of pleasure to be here tonight.
The fence gave me an electric shock.
My mother-in-law gives me nothing but grief.
Give
To carry out (a physical interaction) with (something).
I want to give you a kiss.
She gave him a hug.
I'd like to give the tire a kick.
I gave the boy a push on the swing.
She gave me a wink afterwards, so I knew she was joking.
Give
To pass (something) into (someone's hand, etc.).
Give me your hand.
On entering the house, he gave his coat to the doorman.
Give
To cause (a disease or condition) in, or to transmit (a disease or condition) to.
My boyfriend gave me chlamydia.
He was convinced that it was his alcoholism that gave him cancer.
Give
(transitive) To provide, as, a service or a broadcast.
They're giving my favorite show!
Give
(ditransitive) To estimate or predict (a duration or probability) for (something).
I give it ten minutes before he gives up.
I give it a 95% chance of success.
I'll give their marriage six months.
Give
(intransitive) To yield or collapse under pressure or force.
One pillar gave, then more, and suddenly the whole floor pancaked onto the floor below.
Give
(intransitive) To lead (onto or into).
The master bedroom gives onto a spacious balcony.
Give
To provide a view of.
His window gave the park.
Give
To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to yield.
The number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship.
Give
To cause; to make; used with the infinitive.
Give
To cause (someone) to have; produce in (someone); effectuate.
Give
To allow or admit by way of supposition; to concede.
He can be bad-tempered, I'll give you that, but he's a hard worker.
Give
To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.
Give
To communicate or announce (advice, tidings, etc.); to pronounce or utter (an opinion, a judgment, a shout, etc.).
The umpire finally gave his decision: the ball was out.
Give
To grant power, permission, destiny, etc. (especially to a person); to allot; to allow.
Give
(reflexive) To devote or apply (oneself).
The soldiers give themselves to plunder.
That boy is given to fits of bad temper.
Give
(obsolete) To become soft or moist.
Give
(obsolete) To shed tears; to weep.
Give
(obsolete) To have a misgiving.
Give
(slang) To be going on, to be occurring; what gives?
Your outfit is giving!
Give
The amount of bending that something undergoes when a force is applied to it; a tendency to yield under pressure; resilence.
This chair doesn't have much give.
There is no give in his dogmatic religious beliefs.
Give
To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow.
For generous lords had rather give than pay.
Give
To yield possesion of; to deliver over, as property, in exchange for something; to pay; as, we give the value of what we buy.
What shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?
Give
To yield; to furnish; to produce; to emit; as, flint and steel give sparks.
Give
To communicate or announce, as advice, tidings, etc.; to pronounce; to render or utter, as an opinion, a judgment, a sentence, a shout, etc.
Give
To grant power or license to; to permit; to allow; to license; to commission.
It is given me once again to behold my friend.
Then give thy friend to shed the sacred wine.
Give
To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to show; as, the number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship.
Give
To devote; to apply; used reflexively, to devote or apply one's self; as, the soldiers give themselves to plunder; also in this sense used very frequently in the past participle; as, the people are given to luxury and pleasure; the youth is given to study.
Give
To set forth as a known quantity or a known relation, or as a premise from which to reason; - used principally in the passive form given.
Give
To allow or admit by way of supposition.
I give not heaven for lost.
Give
To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.
I don't wonder at people's giving him to me as a lover.
Give
To excite or cause to exist, as a sensation; as, to give offense; to give pleasure or pain.
Give
To pledge; as, to give one's word.
Give
To cause; to make; - with the infinitive; as, to give one to understand, to know, etc.
But there the duke was given to understandThat in a gondola were seen togetherLorenzo and his amorous Jessica.
Give
To afford a view of; as, his window gave the park.
Whatsoever we employ in charitable uses during our lives, is given away from ourselves.
I fear our ears have given us the bag.
One that gives out himself Prince Florizel.
Give out you are of Epidamnum.
The Babylonians had given themselves over to all manner of vice.
He has . . . given upFor certain drops of salt, your city Rome.
I'll not state themBy giving up their characters.
Give
To give a gift or gifts.
Give
To yield to force or pressure; to relax; to become less rigid; as, the earth gives under the feet.
Give
To become soft or moist.
Give
To move; to recede.
Now back he gives, then rushes on amain.
Give
To shed tears; to weep.
Whose eyes do never giveBut through lust and laughter.
Give
To have a misgiving.
My mind gives ye're reservedTo rob poor market women.
Give
To open; to lead.
This, yielding, gave into a grassy walk.
They gave back and came no farther.
The Scots battalion was enforced to give in.
This consideration may induce a translator to give in to those general phrases.
Rooms which gave upon a pillared porch.
The gloomy staircase on which the grating gave.
It would be well for all authors, if they knew when to give over, and to desist from any further pursuits after fame.
Give
The elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
Give
Cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense;
She gave him a black eye
The draft gave me a cold
Give
Be the cause or source of;
He gave me a lot of trouble
Our meeting afforded much interesting information
Give
Transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody;
I gave her my money
Can you give me lessons?
She gave the children lots of love and tender loving care
Give
Convey or reveal information;
Give one's name
Give
Convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow;
Don't pay him any mind
Give the orders
Give him my best regards
Pay attention
Give
Organize or be responsible for;
Hold a reception
Have, throw, or make a party
Give a course
Give
Convey or communicate; of a smile, a look, a physical gesture;
Throw a glance
She gave me a dirty look
Give
Give as a present; make a gift of;
What will you give her for her birthday?
Give
Bring about;
His two singles gave the team the victory
Give
Dedicate;
Give thought to
Give priority to
Pay attention to
Give
Give or supply;
The cow brings in 5 liters of milk
This year's crop yielded 1,000 bushels of corn
The estate renders some revenue for the family
Give
Tell or deposit (information) knowledge;
Give a secret to the Russians
Leave your name and address here
Give
Bring about;
The trompe l'oeil-illusion establishes depth
Give
Leave with; give temporarily;
Can I give you my keys while I go in the pool?
Can I give you the children for the weekend?
Give
Emit or utter;
Give a gulp
Give a yelp
Give
Endure the loss of;
He gave his life for his children
I gave two sons to the war
Give
Place into the hands or custody of;
Hand me the spoon, please
Turn the files over to me, please
He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers
Give
Give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause;
She committed herself to the work of God
Give one's talents to a good cause
Consecrate your life to the church
Give
Give (as medicine);
I gave him the drug
Give
Give or convey physically;
She gave him First Aid
I gave him a punch in the nose
Give
Bestow;
Give hommage
Render thanks
Give
Bestow, especially officially;
Grant a degree
Give a divorce
This bill grants us new rights
Give
Move in order to make room for someone for something;
The park gave way to a supermarket
`Move over,' he told the crowd
Give
Give food to;
Feed the starving children in India
Don't give the child this tough meat
Give
Contribute to some cause;
I gave at the office
Give
Break down, literally or metaphorically;
The wall collapsed
The business collapsed
The dam broke
The roof collapsed
The wall gave in
The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice
Give
Estimate the duration or outcome of something;
He gave the patient three months to live
I gave him a very good chance at success
Give
Execute and deliver;
Give bond
Give
Deliver in exchange or recompense;
I'll give you three books for four CDs
Give
Afford access to;
The door opens to the patio
The French doors give onto a terrace
Give
Present to view;
He gave the sign to start
Give
Perform for an audience;
Pollini is giving another concert in New York
Give
Be flexible under stress of physical force;
This material doesn't give
Give
Propose;
He gave the first of many toasts at the birthday party
Give
Legal use: accord by verdict;
Give a decision for the plaintiff
Give
Manifest or show;
This student gives promise of real creativity
The office gave evidence of tampering
Give
Offer in good faith;
He gave her his word
Give
Submit for consideration, judgment, or use;
Give one's opinion
Give an excuse
Give
Guide or direct, as by behavior of persuasion;
You gave me to think that you agreed with me
Give
Allow to have or take;
I give you two minutes to respond
Give
Inflict as a punishment;
She gave the boy a good spanking
The judge gave me 10 years
Give
Occur;
What gives?
Give
Consent to engage in sexual intercourse with a man;
She gave herself to many men
Give
Proffer (a body part);
She gave her hand to her little sister
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