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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

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

President Donald Trump has given his clearest timeline so far, telling reporters the U.S. would leave Iran within three weeks, with a speech scheduled for Wednesday evening in Washington.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Without telling Gingersnipes the truth about her destiny—and, perhaps most exciting of all, the truth about his.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

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.