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Showing results for telling. Search instead for telint.
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.

The intense dudedom in the telling of this dude-to-dude business feels very yesterday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The agency has not issued a formal recall, though it has sent out a warning letter telling customers to avoid Raw Farm products purchased on or after Jan. 4, particularly raw milk cheddar cheese.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Sauer therefore engaged in his first bit of linguistic legerdemain, telling the court, “ ‘Allegiance’ is what jurisdiction means.”

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

First Minister John Swinney, campaigning in North Lanarkshire, said his government introduced more than £900m transitional relief on business tax, telling BBC Scotland News that many businesses would see reductions.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

I can’t imagine anyone telling Mom, “Meet so-and-so. She’s forty-nine just like you!”

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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.