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Synonyms

telling

American  
[tel-ing] / ˈtɛl ɪŋ /

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 British  
/ ˈtɛlɪŋ /

adjective

  1. having a marked effect or impact

    a telling blow

  2. revealing

    a telling smile
"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

Other Word Forms

  • tellingly adverb
  • untelling adjective

Etymology

Origin of telling

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She was showered with well wishes from viewers, colleagues and celebrities throughout her final programme on Wednesday, with presenter Sally Nugent telling Kirkwood she had "changed the way that weather is reported in television".

From BBC

“Snap should not continue doing what it is has been doing. It’s not working. And we’re not telling you anything you don’t know already,” the firm wrote to Spiegel on Tuesday.

From Barron's

So we compiled a list of telling monthly and quarterly statistics with Dow Jones Market Data External link below.

From Barron's

“I was telling my girlfriend on the way here, it’s like swimming in a cesspool of trauma,” he told USA Today, mentioning a partner who has not been identified.

From Los Angeles Times

Even telling people that he was learning a splitter felt risky.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.