telling

[ tel-ing ]

adjective

1. having force or effect; effective; striking:

   a telling blow.

   Synonyms: weighty, potent, forceful, powerful

2. revealing; indicative of much otherwise unnoticed:

   a telling analysis of motivation in business.

telling

/ ˈtɛlɪŋ /

adjective

1. having a marked effect or impact

   a telling blow

2. revealing

   a telling smile

Derived Forms

• ˈtellingly, adverb

Other Words From

• telling·ly adverb
• un·telling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of telling¹

First recorded in 1850–55; tell ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Bakersfield Republican whose career in Congress was upended when Gaetz led a rebellion against him, predicted that at least the Gaetz nomination would fail, telling Bloomberg Television on Thursday that he “won’t get confirmed, everybody knows that.”

From Los Angeles Times

"Women are telling us that this extra time is just invaluable."

From BBC

Years before the Baum insult, the two-time Emmy nominee had been candid about her journey to Hollywood, telling The Times in 2022 that it had been far from easy.

From Los Angeles Times

“When you’re 16 and you don’t really like yourself, and you’re trying to figure out what the hell is gong on in your body and your makeup and your hormones, and people are telling you that you’re not good enough — that weight is so heavy,” Sweeney said at the time.

From Los Angeles Times

“The bishop is telling me to stop,” he said in the second video, “And I told him, ‘I’m not going to stop.’

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cogent
• conspicuous
• convincing
• decisive
• devastating
• forceful
• powerful
• satisfying
• striking
• trenchant