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.
Dylan Young and his Melbourne group fill their third album with winsome and warm tracks whose best moments combine rambling guitars with tales of bruising regret. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026 Subsequent generations of founders drew from these tales the moral lesson that every great company originates in betrayal and is sustained by combat. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 Then on Wednesday morning, Luna reunited with her owners thanks to the efforts of local rescuers, tourists and park employees, capping a survival tale that required avoiding bears and coyotes while locating enough sustenance and shelter. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 That level of control precluded a Vatican media operation from spinning tall tales as occurred during John Paul's reign. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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
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