tell off

verb

1. informal.
   to reprimand; scold

   they told me off for stealing apples

2. to count and dismiss

   he told off four more soldiers

Derived Forms

• telling off, noun

Idioms and Phrases

Rebuke severely, reprimand, as in It's time someone told her off about her behavior . There is also a synonymous expression, tell someone where to get off , as in When he called back a third time, I told him where to get off . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s] Also see get off , def. 7.

Example Sentences

She was once told off for asking to learn Mandarin.

From BBC

She said: "He was coming home absolutely exhausted because he was holding all his tics in because he didn't want to do them in school - because he'd get told off".

From BBC

"I felt like I was being told off," Celyn recalled of one conversation with another officer.

From BBC

He thought he was going to be told off, but the head master invited the press, and Mr Bostock said he was "a celebrity for the week".

From BBC

He said: "I was scared of being told off by the police."

From BBC