Tell off meaning
Tell off is a phrasal verb that means to reprimand someone angrily for wrongdoing.
- Past simple
- told off
- Past participle
- told off
- -ing form
- telling off
What tell off means
B2
To reprimand someone angrily for wrongdoing
The teacher told them off for shouting.
Similar phrasal verbs
With tell: tell on, tell against, tell apart.
With off: turn off, take off, cut off, go off, put off, break off, keep off, start off, tick off, get off.
Common questions
What does tell off mean?
To reprimand someone angrily for wrongdoing.
What is the past tense of tell off?
Told off, which is also its past participle.
Meanings and examples are written by Retite. The meanings follow Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0). Levels are based on the CEFR-J Wordlist and set by Retite.
