# don't tell me

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dont-tell-me
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used to introduce a guess at a fact or situation, as if forestalling the other speaker's utterance.

## Examples

- Don't tell me you forgot your keys again.
- Don't tell me you already finished that entire book in just one afternoon.
- Don't tell me that after all our careful planning, you have decided to abandon the project entirely.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.