What do you mean by"telling off"?

Question

i'll use it in a sentence.

Pay no mind to those who talk behind your back. Just tell them off.

what do you mean when you say "tell off" ?

Answer 1

If you tell someone off, you speak to them angrily or seriously because they have done something wrong.

ex...He never listened to us when we told him off.

ex...I'm always being told off for being so awkward.

ex...Dutch police told off two of the gang, aged 10 and 11.

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Answer 2

As in, if someone is making you angry, and talking about you, to other people, then you "tell them off", as in "You need to stop talking about me! and blah blah blah"

Answer 3

It's like to tell them straight in their face what you think of them. Not to be mean or rude but to state your point across to them so that they get your meaning and message loud and clear.

[I would like to correct the statement that you have written a little to this -

Pay no heed to those who talk behind your back. Just tell them off.]

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Answer 4

'Telling off' means to go straightaway to the person and complain/report/say any matter. We 'tell others off' when are angry at them.

eg:

I felt like telling the coach off when he did not count me in the Basketball team finals.

I'm gonna tell off those today guys that what they are doing is bad.

I told her off once but she didn't pay heed to it.

I'm afraid I'll be forced to tell her off again.

All these sentences include agryness or a state in which you are upset. You won't use 'tell off' to anyone you aren't angry with, you just have to use 'tell' in those cases.

Here is the meaning I got from the net:

Tell off:

a. to separate from the whole and assign to a particular duty.

b. Informal. to rebuke severely; scold: It was about time that someone told him off.

Synonyms:

recount

describe

report

impart

speak up

disclose

betray

acknowledge

own

confess

declare.

I hope I have cleared your doubt.

Have a good day!

Regards

Amal

Answer 5

To 'tell off' is to use critical or harsh words to tell someone plainly that they are wrong or have done something wrong.

I gave my daughter a good telling off when she broke her toy and threw it at her brother.