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View synonyms for story

story

1

[ stawr-ee, stohr-ee ]

noun

, plural sto·ries.
  1. a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.

    Synonyms: chronicle, history, record, anecdote, fable, legend, romance

  2. a fictitious tale, shorter and less elaborate than a novel.
  3. such narratives or tales as a branch of literature:

    song and story.

  4. the plot or succession of incidents of a novel, poem, drama, etc.:

    The characterizations were good, but the story was weak.

  5. a narration of an incident or a series of events or an example of these that is or may be narrated, as an anecdote, joke, etc.

    Synonyms: recital

  6. a narration of the events in the life of a person or the existence of a thing, or such events as a subject for narration:

    the story of medicine; the story of his life.

  7. a report or account of a matter; statement or allegation:

    The story goes that he rejected the offer.

    Synonyms: description

  8. a lie or fabrication:

    What he said about himself turned out to be a story.

  9. Obsolete. history.


verb (used with object)

, sto·ried, sto·ry·ing.
  1. to ornament with pictured scenes, as from history or legend.
  2. Obsolete. to tell the history or story of.

story

2

[ stawr-ee, stohr-ee ]

noun

, plural sto·ries.
  1. a complete horizontal section of a building, having one continuous or practically continuous floor.
  2. the set of rooms on the same floor or level of a building.
  3. any major horizontal architectural division, as of a façade or the wall of a nave.
  4. a layer.

Story

3

[ stawr-ee, stohr-ee ]

noun

  1. Joseph, 1779–1845, U.S. jurist.
  2. William Wet·more [wet, -mawr, -mohr], 1819–95, U.S. sculptor and poet.

story

1

/ ˈstɔːrɪ /

noun

  1. a narration of a chain of events told or written in prose or verse
  2. Also calledshort story a piece of fiction, briefer and usually less detailed than a novel
  3. Also calledstory line the plot of a book, film, etc
  4. an event that could be the subject of a narrative
  5. a report or statement on a matter or event
  6. the event or material for such a report
  7. informal.
    a lie, fib, or untruth
  8. cut a long story short or make a long story short
    to leave out details in a narration
  9. the same old story informal.
    the familiar or regular course of events
  10. the story goes
    it is commonly said or believed
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


verb

  1. to decorate (a pot, wall, etc) with scenes from history or legends
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

story

2

/ ˈstɔːrɪ /

noun

  1. another spelling (esp US) of storey
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • story·less adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of story1

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English stori(e), store, “(written or oral) narrative; history,” from Anglo-French (e)storie ( Old French estoire), from Latin historia history

Origin of story2

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English stori(e), from Anglo-Latin (hi)storia architetcure term for a picture decorating a building, a part of the building so decorated, hence floor, story, from Latin historia history
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Word History and Origins

Origin of story1

C13: from Anglo-French estorie, from Latin historia; see history
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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with story , also see cock and bull story ; cover story ; fish story ; hard-luck story ; make a long story short ; old story ; same old story ; shaggy dog story ; sob story ; upper story .
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Example Sentences

He has handled major political interviews and frequently traveled to cover major breaking news stories during his tenure on “Today.”

Krikorian, who declined to be interviewed for this story, offered the group a simple yet telling answer: The climate issue was a potent opportunity.

From Salon

BBC Action Line: If you have been affected by issues in this story, find out what support is available here.

From BBC

The narrator of Baldwin’s story watches from the audience as his brother, a pianist, plays onstage.

Many of the cast and crew had connections to the real-life people in the story.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Stortingstory arc