told: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
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Quick answer
What does “told” mean?
Past tense and past participle of 'tell', meaning to have communicated information, facts, or news to someone verbally or in writing.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Past tense and past participle of 'tell', meaning to have communicated information, facts, or news to someone verbally or in writing.
Can imply giving instructions, orders, revealing secrets, or narrating events, often with a sense of completion or authority.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or grammar; both varieties use 'told' identically in most contexts.
Connotations
Similarly neutral; however, in American English, 'told' might be slightly more frequent in casual imperatives (e.g., 'I told you so').
Frequency
Equally common in British and American English, ranking among the top verbs in frequency lists.
Grammar
How to Use “told” in a Sentence
Subject + told + indirect object + direct object (e.g., 'She told me the answer.')Subject + told + direct object + to + indirect object (e.g., 'He told the news to everyone.')Subject + told + object + infinitive (e.g., 'They told us to wait.')Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “told” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She told him off for missing the train.
- I told the children a bedtime story.
American English
- He told me to check the mailbox.
- They told the committee their findings.
adverb
British English
- All told, the project took six months.
- Told plainly, the facts were undeniable.
American English
- All told, we saved over fifty dollars.
- Told honestly, his story made sense.
adjective
British English
- It's a thrice-told legend in our village.
- The told secrets lost their shock value.
American English
- That's a often-told anecdote at parties.
- The told instructions were clear.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in reports or meetings, e.g., 'The CEO told shareholders about the quarterly results.'
Academic
Appears in narratives or summaries, e.g., 'The author told of historical events in detail.'
Everyday
Common in daily conversation, e.g., 'My friend told me a funny joke.'
Technical
Rare; may occur in user manuals, e.g., 'The interface told users to restart the system.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “told”
- Using 'told' without an indirect object, e.g., 'He told that...' instead of 'He told me that...'
- Incorrectly using 'told' for 'said' in direct speech, e.g., 'Told, \"I'm leaving.\"' instead of 'Said, \"I'm leaving.\"'
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'told' is both the past tense and past participle of 'tell', so it appears in perfect tenses (e.g., 'have told') and passive voice (e.g., 'was told').
Rarely; typically, 'told' requires at least an indirect object when meaning 'inform'. However, in idioms like 'all told', it functions adverbially without a direct object.
'Told' must be followed by an indirect object (the person told), while 'said' can be used with or without an object (e.g., 'said something' vs. 'said that').
In British English, pronounce it as /təʊld/ with a diphthong, and in American English, as /toʊld/ with a slightly different vowel quality.
Past tense and past participle of 'tell', meaning to have communicated information, facts, or news to someone verbally or in writing.
Told is usually neutral in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “all told”
- “told you so”
- “told in confidence”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Link 'told' to 'old' – as in past communication that has become old news.
Conceptual Metaphor
Communication as transfer: 'told' conceptualizes information as an object passed from speaker to listener.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'told' correctly?