revealing
Britishadjective
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of significance or import
a very revealing experience
-
showing or designed to show more of the body than is usual or conventional
a revealing costume
Other Word Forms
- revealingly adverb
- revealingness noun
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.
The statement also calls for former Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom Trump fired earlier this month, to be held responsible for revealing survivor’s identities and concealing files.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
It’s no shock that his second Netflix special “Purple” is the most revealing of who he is at a time when folks are finally paying attention.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
As for threats, when you resort to them, you’re revealing you are uncertain of the sufficiency of your power.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
All of the upper cabinets in the space were stripped out, with Lorenze revealing that the couple have left that area empty—save for the addition of an elegant new oven hood.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
The volcanic texture turned into soft sands and sifted away, revealing a smooth oval egg.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
