adjective
-
having a marked effect or impact
a telling blow
-
revealing
a telling smile
Other Word Forms
- tellingly adverb
- untelling adjective
Etymology
Origin of telling
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.
Bildstein eventually resurfaced, telling associates he had been in his home country of Austria.
Oliver Glasner, the most successful manager in the club's history, then announced in January he was leaving at the end of the season, before telling the club's board they had "abandoned" the squad.
From BBC
“We’re telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs.”
He answered me: “I thank you for telling me about it, Maggie. I know all the rest to be humbug. I thought I would have you to come in last.”
From Literature
When Ghostface dismisses Gale as “an old irrelevant hag,” there’s no way of telling if that Gen Z dis is a hint, a feint or a mistake.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
