revealing
Britishadjective
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of significance or import
a very revealing experience
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showing or designed to show more of the body than is usual or conventional
a revealing costume
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Use the adjective revealing to describe disclosing something that was hidden, either literally or figuratively. If you ask people if they've ever cheated on a test, you may get revealing answers that tell you whether the person is honest or not. Revealing comes from the Latin word revelare, which literally means "unveil," and that word has its roots in re-, meaning "the opposite of," and velare meaning "to cover or veil." It is little wonder that the adjective revealing is often used to describe clothing that leaves little to the imagination. If your daughter's date comes to the door in a revealing shirt with almost every button undone, you might ask him to put on a jacket or else he'll be sure to catch cold.
Vocabulary lists containing revealing
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
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"The Dead and the Gone" Susan Beth Pfeffer, Chapters 11–14
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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.
Gomez recently shared a glimpse inside the couple’s martial home, revealing that they have focused on incorporating color into the property with vibrant shelves and blue cabinets in their kitchen.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
These ranged from revealing Altman's frenzied response to his abrupt sacking in 2023, asking a former colleague at one point - "still don't want me?"
From BBC • May 15, 2026
In the Halo themed video, the Chargers made a couple references to the ongoing drama when revealing their Thanksgiving weekend game against the New England Patriots.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
We still don’t know exactly how tall he is; big men are notorious about revealing their true measurements.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
I knew it was a warning, but I hadn’t thought it was also a clue, something revealing the identity of the speaker.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
