English verb: tell on | |||
1. | tell on (communication) give away information about somebody | ||
Samples | He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam. | ||
Synonyms | betray, denounce, give away, grass, rat, shit, shop, snitch, stag | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | inform | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | sell out | ||
2. | tell on (change) produce an effect or strain on somebody | ||
Samples | Each step told on his tired legs. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch, touch on | ||