telling

adjective tell·ing \ ˈte-liŋ \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of telling

: carrying great weight and producing a marked effect : effective, expressive

the most telling evidence

—

tellingly

play \ˈte-liŋ-lē\ adverb

See telling defined for English-language learners

See telling defined for kids

Examples of telling in a Sentence

Her experience is a telling example of why the nation's educational system needs to be changed.
The most telling moment in the case was when the victim took the stand.

Recent Examples of telling from the Web

But Franks has been a pocket passer with a big arm his entire career; his comfort level with the rushing component of Dan Mullen’s offense will be more telling.

— edgar thompson, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UF starting QB battle among top five questions Gators face entering spring game," 13 Apr. 2018
Here’s his last, most telling and chilling reason: After considerable staff whacking and a recent shift from weekly to bi-monthly, SI is still making money.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty blog: Second-guessing season begins for 2018 Cincinnati Reds, Bryan Price," 12 Apr. 2018
Years before The Sugarcubes even formed, a young Björk clearly already had a wonderfully exuberant sense of style—a telling sign of what was to come.

— rachel hahn, Vogue, "Watch an Adorable Teenaged Björk Dance Onstage With a Massive Bow in Her Hair," 27 Mar. 2018
Fergie's unconventional performance of the national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game Sunday night (Feb. 18) quickly sparked criticism on social media, but there were also some pretty telling reactions caught on camera as Fergie sang.

— nina braca, Billboard, "Draymond Green Talks Reaction to Fergie's National Anthem Performance: 'I Was Chillin''," 20 Feb. 2018
New York is 1-1 against Indiana this year, but the teams' most recent game — a 115-97 Pacers win on Dec. 4 — could be the most telling about what’s to come Sunday.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Cory Joseph gives Pacers defensive edge," 10 Feb. 2018
To the Editor: Edward Sorel omits the most telling line in the whole episode.

— New York Times, "Letters to the Editor," 30 Mar. 2018
In the most telling move of all, Uber waited more than four years after arriving in the region before appointing a regional head for Southeast Asia.

— megan spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "Uber Is Leaving Southeast Asia," 26 Mar. 2018
Even more telling, though, are their facial expressions.

— elizabeth narins, Cosmopolitan, "What Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds's Body Language Says About Their Relationship," 20 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'telling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of telling

1819

telling Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of telling

valid, sound, cogent, convincing, telling mean having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance. valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.