telling

telling
[[t]te̱lɪŋ[/t]]
tellings
1) N-VAR The telling of a story or of something that has happened is the reporting of it to other people.

Herbert sat quietly through the telling of this saga...

These stories grow in the telling.

2) ADJ-GRADED If something is telling, it shows the true nature of a person or situation.

It was her expression that was the most telling...

How a man shaves may be a telling clue to his age.

Syn:
Derived words:
tellingly ADV-GRADED ADV with cl, ADV with v

Most tellingly, perhaps, chimpanzees do not draw as much information from the world around them as we do.

3) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n A telling argument or criticism is a very effective one.

He spoke reasonably, carefully, and with telling effect...

The most telling condemnation of the system was that it failed to fulfil its function.

4) PHRASE: usu PHR wh You use there's no telling to introduce a statement when you want to say that it is impossible to know what will happen in a situation.

There's no telling how long the talks could drag on...

There's no telling what diseases a person can get.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Telling — Tell ing, a. Operating with great effect; effective; as, a telling speech. {Tell ing*ly}, adv. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • telling — [tel′iŋ] adj. 1. having an effect; forceful; striking [a telling retort] 2. that tells or reveals much SYN. VALID tellingly adv …   English World dictionary

  • telling — index caveat, cogent, conversation, demonstrative (illustrative), determinative, disclosure (act of disclosing), eloquent …   Law dictionary

  • telling — compelling, convincing, cogent, sound, *valid Analogous words: forceful, forcible, *powerful, potent: *effective, effectual, efficacious: *conclusive, decisive, determinative, definitive …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • telling — [adj] effective, significant cogent, considerable, conspicuous, convincing, crucial, decisive, devastating, effectual, forceful, forcible, important, impressive, influential, marked, operative, potent, powerful, satisfactory, satisfying, solid,… …   New thesaurus

  • telling — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ having a striking or revealing effect; significant. DERIVATIVES tellingly adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • telling — tell|ing1 [ˈtelıŋ] adj 1.) having a great or important effect = ↑significant ▪ a telling argument 2.) showing the true character or nature of someone or something, often without being intended telling comment/example/detail etc >tellingly adv… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • telling — /ˈtɛlɪŋ / (say teling) adjective 1. having force or effect; effective; striking: a telling blow. 2. indicative of one s feelings; revealing: a telling blush. –phrase 3. take a telling, Colloquial to be warned: he ought to take a telling. {tell1 + …  

  • telling — tellingly, adv. /tel ing/, adj. 1. having force or effect; effective; striking: a telling blow. 2. revealing; indicative of much otherwise unnoticed: a telling analysis of motivation in business. [1850 55; TELL1 + ING2] Syn. 1. powerful, forceful …   Universalium

  • telling — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun Telling is used after these nouns: ↑fortune, ↑story {{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}} adj. Telling is used with these nouns: ↑anecdote, ↑criticism, ↑critique, ↑detail, ↑example, ↑phrase, ↑ …   Collocations dictionary

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