telling

[ tel-ing ]
See synonyms for telling on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. having force or effect; effective; striking: a telling blow.

  2. revealing; indicative of much otherwise unnoticed: a telling analysis of motivation in business.

Origin of telling

1
First recorded in 1850–55; tell1 + -ing2

Other words for telling

Other words from telling

  • tell·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·tell·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for telling

telling

/ (ˈtɛlɪŋ) /


adjective
  1. having a marked effect or impact: a telling blow

  2. revealing: a telling smile

Derived forms of telling

  • tellingly, adverb

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