MEANING
To ring a bell slowly and repeatedly, especially for a death or solemn occasion.
Use it for
Funeral announcements, solemn timekeeping, distant churches.Control a scene's rhythm with deliberate, separated bell strokes.
Words that belong together
- bells toll
- toll for the dead
- toll the great bell
On the page
At midnight the chapel bell tolled, though the tower was locked.
They tolled the bell once for every lost fisherman.
Across the valley, bells were tolling for the old queen.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- toll / tolls
- Past tense
- tolled
- Past participle
- tolled
- Present participle
- tolling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- toll / tolls
- Present continuous
- am/is/are tolling
- Present perfect
- have/has tolled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been tolling
- Past
- tolled
- Past continuous
- was/were tolling
- Past perfect
- had tolled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been tolling
- Future
- will toll / tolls
- Future continuous
- will be tolling
- Future perfect
- will have tolled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been tolling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: gothic. Transitive or intransitive; unrelated noun senses include a road charge and a count of casualties. Verb: toll, tolls, tolled, tolled, tolling.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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