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
Derived 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.
The doors slide open, revealing the entrance to what is expected to be the world's first permanent repository for radioactive spent nuclear fuel.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
Another of the bedrooms has been customized with two sets of built-in bunk beds, which Steenburgen has previously showcased on her social media accounts, revealing that they are primarily used by the couple’s grandchildren.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
"Most life on Earth is microbial, driving nutrient cycles and ecosystem function while revealing new dimensions of biological diversity through symbiosis," said Grosell.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
So the admission he made in the Roland Garros media centre - less than half an hour after walking off the court against Fonseca - was revealing.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
Whitby’s lips peeled back in a smile, revealing small white teeth.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
