Tale — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈtāl/

Meaning & Definition of Tale

Tale (noun)

  1. a usually imaginative narrative of an event, story
  2. an intentionally untrue report, falsehood
  3. a series of events or facts told or presented, account

Tale (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature

    "don't believe the tales you hear about our neighbor's kid"

    similar: canard, story, whisper
    related: dirt, gossip, scuttlebutt, talebearing, talk, tattle, dirty laundry, dirty linen, defamation, libel, slander, hearsay, fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, fib, lie, mendacity, prevarication, untruth, whopper

  2. a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally

    "asked Dad to tell once again the tale of how, as a kid, he broke his arm jumping out of a tree"

    similar: anecdote, story, yarn
    related: episode, event, happening, incident, occurrence, recital, recitation

  3. a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive

    "told tall tales in an attempt to impress me with her supposedly upper-crust background"

    similar: fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, fib, lie, mendacity, prevarication, story, taradiddle, untruth, whopper
    related: distortion, exaggeration, half-truth, ambiguity, equivocation, obliquity, defamation, libel, slander, perjury, bluff, fiction, pose, pretense, humbug, jive, nonsense, canard, fallacy, misconception, myth, falsification, misinformation, misreport, misrepresentation, misstatement, deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, duplicity, fraudulence
    opposite: truth
    near: fact, truism, verity, honesty, truthfulness, veracity, authentication, confirmation, substantiation, validation, verification

  4. a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel

    "the oft-told tale of Sleeping Beauty"

    similar: narrative, novelette, novella, short story, story, yarn
    related: bedtime story, exemplum, fable, parable, anecdote, joke, fairy tale, folktale, legend, myth, romance, account, annals, chronicle, history, record, report

  5. a total number obtained or recorded by noting each thing as it was being added

    "when the tale of the dead from the disaster is announced, the city will be in shock"

    similar: census, count, tally
    related: score, amount, gross, sum, total, whole, recount

Related Entry: Tale-teller (noun)

Tale-teller is a different word from Tale. The synonyms below are for tale-teller, not for tale.

  1. a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others

    "the reasons for the couple's divorce aren't terribly juicy, but they will be by the time the tale-tellers are through"

    similar: circulator, gossip, gossiper, gossipmonger, newsmonger, quidnunc, talebearer, telltale, yenta
    related: betrayer, blabbermouth, informant, informer, snitcher, squealer, stool pigeon, tattler, tattletale, libeler, scandalmonger

Related Entry: Tale-telling (adjective)

Tale-telling is a different word from Tale. The synonyms below are for tale-telling, not for tale.

  1. as in gossipy, talebearing

    similar: gossipy, talebearing, articulate, fluent, glib, voluble, well-spoken, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy, free-spoken, outspoken, unreserved, vocal, extroverted, gregarious, outgoing, sociable, demonstrative, effusive, gushing, communicative, expansive, blabby, chatty, conversational, gabby, garrulous, loquacious, motormouthed, mouthy, talkative, talky
    opposite: closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, taciturn, tight-lipped, uncommunicative, quiet, shy, mum, mute, silent, speechless, tongue-tied, wordless, evasive, nonvocal, secretive, self-contained, aloof, indrawn, inhibited, introverted, retiring, unsociable, withdrawn

Related Entry: Tale-tellers (noun)

Tale-tellers is a different word from Tale. The synonyms below are for tale-tellers, not for tale.

  1. a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others

    "the reasons for the couple's divorce aren't terribly juicy, but they will be by the time the tale-tellers are through"

    similar: circulators, gossipers, gossipmongers, gossips, newsmongers, quidnuncs, talebearers, telltales, yentas
    related: betrayers, blabbermouths, informants, informers, snitchers, squealers, stool pigeons, tattlers, tattletales, libelers, scandalmongers

Related Entry: Fairy tale (noun)

Fairy tale is a different word from Tale. The synonyms below are for fairy tale, not for tale.

  1. a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive

    "did you really see a bear, or are you telling us another one of your fairy tales?"

    similar: fable, fabrication, falsehood, falsity, fib, lie, mendacity, prevarication, story, tale, taradiddle, untruth, whopper
    related: distortion, exaggeration, half-truth, ambiguity, equivocation, obliquity, defamation, libel, slander, perjury, bluff, fiction, pose, pretense, humbug, jive, nonsense, canard, fallacy, misconception, myth, falsification, misinformation, misreport, misrepresentation, misstatement, deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, duplicity, fraudulence
    opposite: truth
    near: fact, truism, verity, honesty, truthfulness, veracity, authentication, confirmation, substantiation, validation, verification

Related Entry: Old wives' tale (noun)

Old wives' tale is a different word from Tale. The synonyms below are for old wives' tale, not for tale.

  1. a false idea or belief

    "the belief that going outside with wet hair will cause you to catch cold is just an old wives' tale"

    similar: delusion, error, fallacy, falsehood, falsity, hallucination, illusion, misbelief, misconception, myth, untruth
    related: factoid, superstition, fiction, pretense, distortion, inaccuracy, misapprehension, miscomprehension, misinterpretation, misjudgment, misperception, misunderstanding, misinformation, misknowledge, misreport, misrepresentation, misstatement, sophism, sophistry, fib, half-truth, lie, story, tale
    opposite: truth, verity

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Tale

The most common words with a similar meaning to Tale:

canard, story, whisper, anecdote, yarn, fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, fib, lie, mendacity, prevarication, taradiddle, untruth, whopper, narrative, novelette, novella, short story, census, count, tally

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Tale

Words with the opposite meaning of Tale:

truth

Related Words for Tale

dirt, gossip, scuttlebutt, talebearing, talk, tattle, dirty laundry, dirty linen, defamation, libel, slander, hearsay, episode, event, happening, incident, occurrence, recital, recitation, distortion, exaggeration, half-truth, ambiguity, equivocation, obliquity, perjury, bluff, fiction, pose, pretense

Near Antonyms of Tale

fact, truism, verity, honesty, truthfulness, veracity, authentication, confirmation, substantiation, validation, verification

Origin & Etymology of Tale

Middle English, from Old English talu; akin to Old Norse tala talk

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Tale

Words & Phrases Containing Tale

tale-teller, tale of woe, fairy-tale, fairy tale, old wives' tale, spin a tale, thereby hangs a tale, tall tale/story

Frequently Asked Questions about Tale

What does "Tale" mean?

"Tale" means a usually imaginative narrative of an event, story. As a noun, it is defined as: a usually imaginative narrative of an event, story. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Tale"?

Other words for "Tale" include canard, story, whisper, anecdote, yarn, fable, fabrication and fairy tale. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Tale" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Tale"?

There are 90 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Tale". Common alternatives include canard, story, whisper, anecdote, yarn, fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood and falsity.

What is the opposite of "Tale"?

Antonyms of "Tale" include truth. Near antonyms include fact, truism, verity and honesty.

How do you use "Tale" in a sentence?

Examples of "Tale" in a sentence: "don't believe the tales you hear about our neighbor's kid"; "asked Dad to tell once again the tale of how, as a kid, he broke his arm jumping out of a tree"; "told tall tales in an attempt to impress me with her supposedly upper-crust background".

Is "Tale" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Tale" is a noun.

Is "Tale" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Tale" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Tale"?

"Tale" is pronounced /ˈtāl/.