toldtold /təʊld $ toʊld/ 
Longman Language Activatorto not obey a person
to not do what you are told to do by someone in authority: · It was unfair of the teacher to make us stay after school, but no one dared disobey.· My father was very strict and old-fashioned, but I never disobeyed him. · Black had disobeyed the judge's ruling, and continued to harass his ex-wife.
if someone, especially a child, does not do as they are told , they refuse to obey a parent, teacher, etc: · "Daddy, why?" "Don't ask, just do as you're told."· If she doesn't do as she's told, send her to her room.
to deliberately disobey someone in authority, even though you know this will make them angry: · Billy defied his mother, and smoked openly in the house.· She said she would defy the party leader and vote against him.
to not do what someone has asked you to do, or what you know they want you to do: · They went against their parents' wishes and got married secretly.· Sacha went against her family's wishes by leaving school at 16.
to deliberately behave in a way that is completely different from the way that your parents and people in general expect you to behave: · Her parents wanted her to go to university, but she rebelled and went to live on a commune.rebel against: · Teenagers tend to rebel against people in authority.
to find out about something to get information about something, either by chance or by deliberately trying to get it: · "Do you have these shoes in size 8?" "I'm not sure - I'll just go and find out."· When we found out the price we were shocked.find out what/where/whether etc: · I'll go and find out which platform the train leaves from.· Dad was really mad at me when he found out where I'd been.find out about: · He's trying to find out about Japanese classes in the area.find out something/find something out: · Could you find out his address for me, please?· "John's been married twice." "How did you find that out?"find out (that): · She found out that her husband was having an affair.
to find something out, especially something that is surprising or something that is difficult to find out. Discover is more formal than find out: · Fire officers are still trying to discover the cause of the fire.discover (that): · I began to learn the guitar, and discovered that I was pretty good at it.· She discovered the job wasn't as easy as it might seem.discover how/why/what etc: · They never discovered who the murderer was.
especially spoken to get the information that you want by going somewhere to look, or by doing something and noticing what happens: · "Is he ready yet?" "I don't know - I'll go and see."see if/whether: · See if the rice is done while you're in the kitchen, will you?see how/where/what etc: · Can you see who's at the door?· Let's see what happens if we add some oil.
to know about something because someone has told you, you have read about it, seen it on television etc: · "Nina's quit her job." "Yes, so I've heard."hear about: · How did you hear about our company?· We've heard such a lot about you from our daughter.hear (that): · I hear you're moving to Toronto.hear whether/if: · When will you hear whether you've got the job?hear what/why/how etc: · I suppose you've heard what happened?
to find out about something because someone tells you: be told (that): · He was told that Anna had left some time ago.· Visitors have been told the building will be used as a museum.so I'm told spoken: · "Is it true that she's moving to Hollywood?" "So I'm told."
especially written to find out a fact or find out that something is true, especially by asking questions: find that: · We found that, despite their poverty, very few people wanted to leave the area.· Researchers found that smokers were more likely to get depressed than non-smokers.
to find out something because someone tells you, you read it somewhere etc: · I doubt if we will ever learn the truth.learn of/about: · She learned of her mother's death when it was announced on the radio.learn (that): · Several months ago, McNair learned that he had cancer.
to know a piece of information because that is what you hear people saying and not because you have been told it directly: gather (that): · I gather you've decided not to resign after all.· Despite my limited Spanish, I gathered that there was a problem with my passport.from what somebody can gather (=according to what I have found out): · From what I can gather, there has been fighting further down the valley.
formal if something such as a problem or a mistake comes to someone's attention or notice , that person finds out about it, especially because someone else tells them about it: · Illegal trading first came to the attention of top management in late April.come to sb's attention/notice that: · It has come to my notice that your account is overdrawn by £200.
to find out about something because the information has been passed on from one person to another in conversation: · "How did you find out she was leaving?" "I heard it through the grapevine."hear through/on the grapevine that: · I heard on the grapevine that Josie and Tom are expecting a baby.
to obey someone to do what someone in authority tells you to do: · Soldiers must always obey their commanding officer.· I knew that if I didn't obey, I would be shot.obey an order/command/instruction: · You can teach most dogs to obey simple commands.· War criminals tried to justify their actions by saying that they were only obeying orders.
to do what someone tells you to do, wants you to do, or thinks you should do: follow orders/instructions: · He was a military man, and therefore used to following orders.· I have followed your instructions exactly.follow somebody's advice: · Visitors to the city should follow police advice and not resist muggers.follow somebody's orders/instructions etc to the letter (=do exactly what someone tells you): · You will not make a mistake if you follow these instructions to the letter.
especially spoken to do what someone has advised or ordered you to do: · I did what you said and took half a pill instead of a whole one.· "Sit down and listen," Matt said. I did as he said.do as I say (=used by adults to tell children to do something): · I'm your father, and you'll do as I say.
especially spoken to obey someone and not do anything different - used by parents or teachers to tell children to do something: · If she doesn't do as she's told, send her to her room.
if a politician is on-message he or she is always publicly willing to support the ideas and aims of their party and to do what their leaders want them to do - used especially in newspapers: · The party leadership is desperately trying to get several senior members of the government back on-message.· Those who were firmly on-message dutifully defended the prime minister's actions to the media.
to warn someone about something to tell someone about something unpleasant or dangerous that might happen, so that they can avoid it or prevent it: · We tried to warn her, but she refused to listen.· The consequences could be serious - I just wanted to warn you.warn (that): · The local people were warned that the volcano might erupt at any time.· We were warned there were going to be delays on the motorway, so we came back by a different route.warn somebody about something especially spoken: · I was going for a swim, until the people in the hotel warned me about the jellyfish.warn (somebody) of something especially written: · Weather forecasters warned of possible flooding in coastal regions.warn somebody (not) to do something: · Police are warning drivers not to go out on the roads unless their journey is really necessary.warn somebody against doing something: · Tourists are warned against going to remoter regions.
to tell someone that if they continue to behave in an unsatisfactory way, they will be punished: · So you've given her a warning about her conduct in future?give sb a warning that: · The US gave a warning that, if the hostages were not released, they would be forced to take military action.give somebody a final warning: · One day Monica's boss gave her a final warning. If she messed up again, she was fired.
to try to prevent someone from doing something by warning them about the trouble or problems it could cause for them: warn somebody off: · The army had put signs up around the area where the mines were, to warn people off.warn somebody off doing something: · Even though we'd been warned off going into the mountains, we couldn't resist it.warn off somebody: · The female rattlesnake warns off intruders by making a loud noise.
formal to warn someone not to do something because it is likely to be dangerous or have a bad result: · "Be careful now," Sarah cautioned. "Don't do anything stupid."caution somebody against doing something: · The policeman cautioned the children against talking to strangers.caution against (doing) something: · Marshall cautioned against pouring millions of pounds into taking legal action when there was no guarantee of victory.
to warn someone about something that is going to happen, especially to warn the police about a crime, so that they can try to prevent it: be tipped off about: · The police had been tipped off about the gang's arrival.be tipped off that: · Customs officers had been tipped off that the drugs were hidden in a child's rucksack.tip somebody off: · Someone must have tipped the press off about the princess's visit. tip off somebody: · A farmer noticed our foreign accents and tipped off the Security Police.
to officially or publicly warn people of possible danger so that they can be ready to deal with it: · When he realized that one engine was not working, the pilot alerted air traffic control.alert somebody to something: · a poster campaign to alert people to the diseasealert somebody that: · Drivers are being alerted that an escaped prisoner has been seen hitch-hiking on the road to Frankfurt.
to warn everyone about something bad or dangerous that is already happening so that they can take action to stop it or avoid it: · Leighton was told to stand at the door, and to raise the alarm if a guard came.sound/raise the alarm about: · The Red Cross has sounded the alarm about the danger of further famine in the region.· The problem is that if you sound the alarm about fraud in your company, you might end up out of a job.
formal to warn someone about something bad that is going to happen soon, so that they have enough time to prepare for it: · Barry Hearn forewarned me that the meeting was going to be tough.be forewarned of something: · A police team, forewarned of the raid, had taken up positions inside the bank.
spoken say this when you had warned someone about a possible danger that has now happened, especially if they ignored your warning: · I told you he had a violent temper! Why did you argue with him?· I told you so! It was obvious she was going to disappear as soon as she got the money.· I hate to say "I told you so", but maybe you should listen to me next time.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Mum told me the facts of life when I was twelve. It’s time someone told him a few home truths.
Mum told me the facts of life when I was twelve. It’s time someone told him a few home truths.PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a little bird told me (something)
the past tense and past participle of tell- All told, 28 people died and 100 were wounded.
- Craig MacTavish retired last season as the last player to compete without a helmet-17 years all told.
- He couldn't have bled a great deal, perhaps a cupful all told.
- He said the doctors all told him the injury was going to happen anyway.
- It's all told in a bouncy rhyme, with outrageously funny pictures.
- It will take four to six years, all told.
- Our 12-day tour, Rome to Sicily, cost us each about $ 1, 500, all told.
- There were about twenty of us, all told; mostly McHoans but with a smattering of civilians.
- They take eighteen hours all told, including the overnight soaking.
- After all, I am not so different from anyone else, if the truth be known.
- He could never, if the truth were told, stand against his wife.
- He looked lonely, if the truth were told.
- I bet they did it worse than us if the truth was known.
- I puzzle a lot, if the truth be known.
- I suppose if the truth was known, I was narked at being pushed around.
- Nearly thirteen and a half if the truth be known.
- You'd rather have a day out at York racecourse than at Headingley if truth were known, wouldn't you?