Standard Lemma guide

retell

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɹiˈtɛl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛl
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY0 T EH1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To tell again, often differently, what one has read or heard; to paraphrase.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She will retell the story from her perspective in the next meeting.
  • He had to retell the story several times before it was understood.
  • The author decided to retell the classic fairy tale with a modern twist.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

to say, state, or perform again

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She kept reiterating her request

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: repeat, reiterate, ingeminate, iterate, restate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tell

Narrower terms: perseverate, ditto, harp, dwell, translate, interpret, render, paraphrase, rephrase, reword, sum up, summarize, summarise, resume, quote, cite

3

verb

Meaning 3

make into fiction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The writer fictionalized the lives of his parents in his latest novel

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fictionalize, fictionalise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: re-create

4

verb

Meaning 4

render verbally,

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • recite a poem
  • retell a story

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: recite

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: re-create

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English tell English retell From re- + tell.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: سَرَدَ (sarada) — to tell again
  • Arabic: نَقَلَ (naqala) — to tell again
  • Chinese Mandarin: 復述 /复述 (fùshù) — to tell again
  • Finnish: kertoa — to tell again
  • Finnish: kertoa omin sanoin — to tell again
  • French: raconter de nouveau — to tell again
  • French: redire — to tell again
  • German: wiedererzählen — to tell again
  • German: nacherzählen — to tell again
  • Japanese: 再び語る (futatabi kataru) — to tell again
  • Latin: renarrō — to tell again
  • Māori: takirua — to tell again
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gjenfortelle — to tell again
  • Russian: переска́зывать (pereskázyvatʹ) — to tell again
  • Russian: пересказа́ть (pereskazátʹ) — to tell again
  • Spanish: contar de nuevo — to tell again
  • Spanish: redecir — to tell again