tale

tale — noun

1. A description of real or imaginary events, told to entertain or to make a point,

1.nounB1
Definition

A description of real or imaginary events, told to entertain or to make a point, and often including surprising or hard-to-believe details.

Example

Grandpa told us a tale about a fox that could talk and trick the farmers.

collocation: tell a tale about [subject]

The book is a tale of adventure set in a small fishing village in Iceland.

tale of + noun (adventure, love, survival)

Common collocations
  • tell a tale
  • weave a tale
  • folk tale
  • fairy tale
  • cautionary tale
  • tale of adventure
Synonyms
  • story

    more general and neutral in tone; tale often feels older, more imaginative or dramatic

  • narrative

    more formal and structured; describes the way a story is told rather than the content itself

  • legend

    a story passed down through generations, often about heroic figures; implies historical roots

  • anecdote

    a short, personal, often amusing account of a real incident

Antonyms
  • fact

    tales may be invented or exaggerated, whereas a fact is objectively true

Grammar Patterns

tale + of + noun phrase

tale + about + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often used in compounds (fairy tale, folk tale) and with adjectives that describe the type of story (cautionary tale, horror tale, love tale).

Common Mistakes

I read a tale about a tall building.
I read a story about a tall building.
'tale' suggests an imaginative, possibly old-fashioned or unlikely story, not a general narrative.

2. A report or statement someone tells knowing it is not true, with the goal of tri

2.nounB2
Definition

A report or statement someone tells knowing it is not true, with the goal of tricking or misleading others.

Example

The politician's tale about his war record was later proven to be completely false.

tale about [subject] used to mean fabricated claim

Christopher told a tale about missing the bus, but I saw his car in the driveway.

Common collocations
  • tell tales
  • a pack of tales
  • fairy tale (figurative, meaning lie)
Synonyms
  • lie

    the direct, everyday word for a false statement; tale in this sense sounds more dramatic or dated

  • falsehood

    more formal than both tale and lie

  • fabrication

    emphasises that the story was deliberately invented

Antonyms
  • truth

    a statement that matches reality

Grammar Patterns

tale + about + noun phrase

a pack of tales

Usage Note

Frequently plural (tales) in the phrase 'tell tales', which can mean either telling lies or reporting someone's secrets. Context determines which meaning applies.

Common Mistakes

She told a tale to her mother about the broken vase.
She told her mother a lie about the broken vase.
In modern English, 'tale' for a deliberate falsehood is slightly literary or old-fashioned; 'lie' is the everyday word.
Idioms

old wives' tale

idiom

A traditional belief or piece of advice that many people think is true but is actually false or unscientific.

Eating carrots helps you see in the dark — that is just an old wives' tale with no real science behind it.

My grandmother believed that walking under a ladder brings bad luck, but I am pretty sure it is an old wives' tale.

tell tales

idiom

To reveal someone's secrets or bad behaviour to a person in authority, often with the result of getting that person into trouble.

If you tell tales on your classmates, they will not want to work with you on group projects.

Vikram got into trouble for telling tales about his younger brother stealing cookies from the kitchen.

live to tell the tale

idiom

To survive a dangerous, difficult, or frightening experience and be able to describe it afterwards.

The hikers got caught in a snowstorm on the mountain, but they all lived to tell the tale.

Elena fell off her bike going down a steep hill, and although she was bruised, she lived to tell the tale.

tell a different tale

idiom

To present information that contradicts what was previously said or expected.

The government says the economy is growing, but the rising number of empty shops tells a different tale.

The company's advertising claims the product is safe, but customer reviews online tell a different tale.

a tale of woe

idiom

A story or account full of problems, misfortunes, or troubles, often told to gain sympathy.

Every time we meet, Benjamin treats us to a long tale of woe about his terrible landlord.

The letter from the charity was a tale of woe describing how the flood had destroyed the village school.

live, etc. to tell the tale

idiom

To survive a dangerous or difficult event and be able to describe it afterwards.

After the earthquake, the family lived to tell the tale.

Did the hiker survive the storm to tell the tale?

an old wives’ tale

idiom

A traditional belief or story that is not based on scientific fact.

Eating carrots improves your eyesight is just an old wives' tale.

My grandmother believed that walking under a ladder brings bad luck, but that's an old wives' tale.

tell a different story/tale

idiom

To provide information that contradicts what was previously thought or said.

The company claimed success, but the sales figures told a different story.

His calm voice told a different tale from his worried eyes.

tell its own tale/story

idiom

To reveal the truth about something without needing any explanation.

The empty wallet told its own story of his spending habits.

Her tear-streaked face told its own tale of sadness.

tell tales (about something/on somebody)

idiom

To report someone's bad behavior to a person in authority.

Maya told tales on her brother for breaking the vase.

Don't tell tales about your classmates to the teacher.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all describe accounts of events, but they differ in scope and tone. Story is the broadest and most neutral word — you can use it for anything from a child's make-believe to a news report ('She told me a story about her trip to Japan'). Tale carries an older, more imaginative feel and often suggests that the details may be exaggerated or hard to believe ('a tale of knights and dragons'). Narrative is more formal and focuses on the structure or telling of events rather than the content ('the novel has a complex narrative'). Anecdote is a short, personal account of a real incident, usually amusing or interesting ('He shared an anecdote about his first day at work'). Legend refers to a traditional story passed down over generations, often about heroic people or events that may be partly historical ('the legend of King Arthur'). A tale may be an entertaining fictional story; a legend claims roots in the past. For everyday use, story is safest. Use tale when you want to suggest something adventurous, old-fashioned, or possibly exaggerated.

tale ↗story ↗narrative ↗anecdote ↗legend ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a tale of
  • tales from
  • a tale about

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'tale' comes from Old English 'talu', meaning 'a story, a series of events told, or a calculation'. It is related to the verb 'tell' and to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old Norse 'tala' (speech, number) and German 'Zahl' (number). In Middle English, the sense shifted from 'something counted or recounted' to focus on the narrative meaning we use today.