story

/'stO:ri/ noun (C)

1 FOR ENTERTAINMENT a description of how something happened, that is intended to entertain people, and may be true or imaginary: the story of Cinderella | Don't be frightened, Connie - it's only a story. (=it is imaginary)

(+ about): a story about gangsters | fairy/ghost/love story: a true-life love story | tell/read sb a story: Mommy, will you read me a story?

2 EVENTS a description of the most important events in someone's life or in the development of something: the story of the railways | the Tina Turner Story | sb's life story: Nobody wants to hear your life story the first time you meet them.

3 NEWS a report in a newspaper or news broadcast about a recent event: a front-page story in `The Times' | run a story (=report an event): `The Observer' ran a big story about the scandal. | cover story (=the main story in a magazine that is about the picture on the cover) | success story: Calvin's life was a success story - from farm boy to business tycoon.

4 OF A FILM/PLAY ETC what happens in a film, play, or book; plot 1 (1): Tom Hanks was brilliant, but the story was boring.

5 EXCUSE an excuse or explanation, especially one that you have invented: Where were you? And don't give me any story about working late! | Well that's my story (=that is what I say happened), and I'm sticking to it.

6 my/your side of the story the way that a particular person describes what happened: Before we decide who is to blame, we want to hear your side of the story.

7 WHAT PEOPLE SAY information which people tell each other, but which may be untrue; rumour: There are a lot of wild stories going around. | so the story goes (=people are saying this): He was having an affair with Julie, or so the story goes.

8 it's a long story spoken used to tell someone that you do not want to give them all the details that a full answer to their question would need

9 it's the same story in/here/there etc used to say the same thing is happening in another place: Unemployment is falling in the US and it's the same story in Europe.

10 it's the same old story spoken used to say that the present bad situation has often happened before: It's the same old story - too much work and not enough time.

11 to cut a long story short BrE spoken to make a long story short AmE spoken used when you want to finish a story quickly

12 but that's another story spoken used when you have mentioned something that you are not going to talk about on this occasion

13 that's not the whole story spoken used to say that there are more details which people need to know in order to understand the situation

14 that's the story of my life spoken used after a disappointing experience to mean that similar disappointing things always seem to happen to you

15 end of story BrE spoken used to mean that there is nothing more to say about a particular subject: As far as I'm concerned Terry is still a friend, end of story.

16 A LIE a word used by or to children meaning a lie: tell stories: Have you been telling stories again?

17 the American spelling of storey

—see also: short story, cock and bull story cock 1 (3), hard luck story hard 1 (23), sob story