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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.

“We were telling each other, ‘go out there and get it!’

From Los Angeles Times

They act as messengers, telling our cells what to do, and play vital roles in our skin health, immune system and helping to control our hormones.

From BBC

A die-hard Manchester City fan, the club's manager Pep Guardiola made a special video tribute, telling the Oasis legend "I'm so proud of you... and I love you".

From Barron's

“I just wanted to get out away from the freaking people telling me what to do,” he recalled.

From The Wall Street Journal

He also called Rohl "a very young man", which was tantamount to telling him to "sit down, you know nothing of this fixture".

From BBC

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.