Standard Lemma guide

voluntell

verb · 1 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌvɒl(ə)nˈtɛl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌvɑlənˈtɛl/
  • rhymes with -ɛl

1

verb

Meaning 1

To tell or force (someone) to "volunteer" to do something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous, informal, often, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Blend of volunteer + tell, in the sense of "to order (someone to do something)."

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: désigner volontaire — to tell or force someone to volunteer to do something
  • Hebrew: התנודב (hitnudáv) — to tell or force someone to volunteer to do something
  • Polish: zgłaszać na ochotnika — to tell or force someone to volunteer to do something
  • Polish: zgłosić na ochotnika — to tell or force someone to volunteer to do something
  • Russian: добровольно-принудительно (dobrovolʹno-prinuditelʹno) — to tell or force someone to volunteer to do something