Tell off meaning
Tell off means to speak angrily to someone because they did something wrong.
tell somebody off
tell off · told · telling
Mum told me off for coming home late.
Tell off meanings and examples
One meaning, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Speak angrily to someone because they did something wrong
tell somebody off
- Mum told me off for coming home late.
- The teacher told off the boys for running inside.
- Did you get told off for losing the keys?
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Slova
Use tell off in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is tell off separable?
Tell off is separable, and the person usually goes in the middle: tell the kids off, tell them off. Use for + noun or -ing for the reason: tell someone off for shouting.
Get told off is very common: I got told off by my boss. The noun is a telling-off: I got a telling-off. Tell off is mostly British; US speakers often say scold or yell at.
Verb tenses for tell off
| Present | I tell off · she tells off |
|---|---|
| Past | told off |
| Present perfect | have told off |
| -ing form | telling off |
Common mistakes with tell off
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: My boss told off me yesterday.
Right: My boss told me off yesterday.
A pronoun goes between tell and off.
Wrong: She told me off because of I was late.
Right: She told me off for being late.
Use for + -ing for the reason.
Wrong: The teacher told off to us.
Right: The teacher told us off.
No to. The person goes in the middle.
Synonyms and opposites of tell off
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- scolda bit old-fashioned; speak angrily, often to a child
- yell atshout angrily at someone; more US
- pick onbe unkind to someone again and again, unfairly
Opposite
- praisesay good things about what someone did
- let offnot punish someone who did something wrong
Tell off quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The coach ___ the players for being late to training.
Tell off means speak angrily to someone who did wrong.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes in the middle, then for + -ing.
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3Your little brother says, “Dad told me off.” How does he probably feel?
Being told off means someone spoke angrily to you.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
- get offA2leave a bus, train, plane, boat or bike
- take offA2remove clothes, shoes or glasses from your body
- put offB1decide to do something later than you planned
- come offB1become separated from the thing it was fixed to
- go offB2start ringing loudly, like an alarm, or explode, like a bomb
- turn offA2make a light, machine or tap stop working
- give offB2produce a smell, heat, light or gas
- set offB1start a journey
Tell off FAQ
Questions people ask about tell off.
What does get told off mean?
It means someone speaks angrily to you because you did something wrong. I got told off for using my phone in class.
Tell off vs tell on: what is the difference?
Tell someone off means speak angrily to them. Tell on someone means tell a parent or teacher that they did something wrong.
Is tell off British?
Mostly. It is very common in the UK and Australia. In the US people understand it, but they often say scold or yell at.
Use tell off in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.