tale

noun

ˈtāl How to pronounce tale (audio)
Synonyms of talenext
1
a
: a usually imaginative narrative of an event : story
b
: an intentionally untrue report : falsehood
… always preferred the tale to the truth …—Sir Winston Churchill
2
a
: a series of events or facts told or presented : account
b(1)
: a report of a private or confidential matter
dead men tell no tales
(2)
: a libelous report or piece of gossip
3
a
: count, tally
b
: total
4
obsolete : discourse, talk

Synonyms of tale

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Examples of tale in a Sentence

The movie is a stirring tale of courage. We listened to his familiar tale of woe as he talked again about the failure of his marriage. He told us thrilling tales about his adventures as a pilot in the war. Are you telling tales again? Or is that the truth?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rich talk and wild tales, all leavened with deep experience and salty humor. — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026 Sidewalk safety, a tale of two cities There is no such hesitancy with cities collecting roadway data. — Wes Marshall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 From a very modern romantic entanglement to an epic tale of power and class in Pakistan, here are some of the most exciting debut novels of the year so far. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 2 July 2026 That makes today’s tale a rather bittersweet one, because the Volvo EX30 could be the perfect antidote. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tale

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of tale was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing tale

Rhymes for tale

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Browse Nearby Words

talcum powder
tale
talebearer
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Cite this Entry

“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tale. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tale

noun
ˈtā(ə)l How to pronounce tale (audio)
1
: something told
a tale of woe
2
: a story about an imaginary event
a fairy tale
3
: a false story : lie
4
: a piece of harmful gossip
spread tales about us

More from Merriam-Webster on tale

Nglish: Translation of tale for Spanish Speakers

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