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.

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telling British  

/ ˈtɛlɪŋ /

adjective

1. having a marked effect or impact

   a telling blow

2. revealing

   a telling smile

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Other Word Forms

• tellingly adverb
• untelling adjective

Etymology

Origin of telling

First recorded in 1850–55; tell ¹ + -ing ²

Explanation

Something that's telling is either significant,or it reveals information. Getting twice as much allowance will have a telling effect on your ability to buy new books. When it comes to economics, a telling indicator of a country's state is how much money its citizens spend each month. And you can see that a movie has had a telling effect on its audience if it leaves them all weeping. If you reveal something without meaning to, that's telling as well: "The look on his face was telling." This adjective dates from the mid-1800s, from the verb tell and its sense of "to reveal or disclose."

Example Sentences

That means smiling when you see your friend’s daughter the next time, and telling her how wonderful the wedding was and how beautiful she looked, and asking her about her honeymoon.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

“For now, the data is still telling us that we should be very reluctant to assume a large decline in growth,” said James Egelhof, chief U.S. economist at BNP Paribas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

She was telling her team about her weekend.

From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026

But Wales were not done, as their bench made a telling impact.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

He could feel that Saeunn was telling the truth.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• cogent
• conspicuous
• convincing
• decisive
• devastating
• forceful
• powerful
• satisfying
• striking
• trenchant