Synonyms of telling

telling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈte-liŋ 

as in convincing

having the power to persuade

presented us with telling evidence that convinced us he was right

Synonyms & Similar Words

• convincing
• compelling
• conclusive
• strong
• persuasive
• valid
• effective
• satisfying
• decisive
• forceful
• definitive
• cogent
• important
• authoritative
• sound
• significant
• relevant
• pertinent
• well-founded
• material
• weighty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unconvincing
• ineffective
• inconclusive
• indecisive
• unfounded
• insignificant
• unimportant
• shaky
• irrelevant
• invalid
• unpersuasive
• groundless
• unsound
• inconsequential
• immaterial
• uncompelling
• weak
• feeble

telling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of tell

1

as in describing

to give an oral or written account of in some detail

they told the story of how they had met

Synonyms & Similar Words

• describing
• recounting
• narrating
• relating
• chronicling
• reporting
• reciting
• depicting
• detailing
• stating
• setting forth
• charting
• voicing
• rehearsing
• revealing
• disclosing
• expressing
• uttering
• giving
• exposing
• delivering
• enumerating
• divulging
• baring
• rendering
• itemizing
• delineating
• sketching
• particularizing
• reeling off
• letting on (about)

2

as in saying

to express (a thought or emotion) in words

just tell us what is in your heart

Synonyms & Similar Words

• saying
• talking
• speaking
• uttering
• discussing
• sharing
• stating
• articulating
• announcing
• giving
• verbalizing
• shouting
• putting
• posting
• vocalizing
• passing
• bringing out
• enunciating
• publishing
• voicing
• whispering
• looking
• proclaiming
• affirming
• declaring
• putting into words
• sounding
• asserting
• blurting
• airing
• publicizing
• alleging
• commenting
• promulgating
• advertising
• ventilating
• broadcasting
• venting
• remarking
• blabbering
• breathing
• murmuring
• formulating
• gasping
• mouthing
• getting off
• spouting
• avowing
• chirping
• blazing
• phrasing
• averring
• drawling
• wording
• shooting
• clothing
• bolting
• purring
• snarling
• spluttering
• couching
• avouching
• ripping (out)
• formulizing
• lipping
• piping up (with)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suppressing
• stifling

3

as in counting

to find the sum of (a collection of things) by noting each one as it is being added

who can tell the number of grains of sand in the world?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• counting
• computing
• checking
• calculating
• enumerating
• numbering
• adding (up)
• recounting
• tabulating
• marking
• totaling
• tallying
• ticking (off)
• tabling
• reckoning

4

as in informing

to give information to

tell me, when did you begin playing the violin?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• informing
• advising
• instructing
• briefing
• teaching
• educating
• notifying
• alerting
• enlightening
• apprising
• acquainting
• familiarizing
• clearing
• filling in
• convincing
• catching up
• reassuring
• versing
• assuring
• letting someone know
• lecturing
• hipping
• clueing (in)
• advertising
• keeping (someone) posted
• wising (up)
• disclosing (to)
• announcing (to)
• certifying
• warranting
• tutoring
• schooling
• disabusing
• disillusioning
• disenchanting
• undeceiving

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misleading
• misinforming

5

as in instructing

to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority

told us to sit still and wait

Synonyms & Similar Words

• instructing
• ordering
• asking
• commanding
• begging
• advising
• directing
• warning
• requesting
• bidding
• enjoining
• charging
• adjuring
• petitioning
• appointing
• requiring
• bossing (around)
• forcing
• compelling
• authorizing
• entreating
• beseeching
• assigning
• supervising
• controlling
• managing
• commissioning
• leading
• coercing
• counseling
• obliging
• overseeing
• constraining
• conducting
• superintending

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• following
• obeying
• keeping
• observing
• complying (with)
• minding

6

as in disclosing

to make known (as information previously kept secret)

I won't tell your secret to anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disclosing
• revealing
• discovering
• uncovering
• exposing
• announcing
• sharing
• divulging
• spilling
• baring
• unveiling
• bringing to light
• unmasking
• letting on (about)
• leaking
• confiding
• going public (with)
• proclaiming
• unbosoming
• informing
• publishing
• acknowledging
• posting
• letting the cat out of the bag (about)
• spilling the beans (about)
• declaring
• confessing
• uncloaking
• talking
• advertising
• promulgating
• betraying
• relating
• debunking
• publicizing
• communicating
• admitting
• imparting
• blabbing
• broadcasting
• unearthing
• owning
• showing up
• bringing out
• undraping
• conceding
• sounding
• blazing
• unclothing
• giving away
• squealing
• placarding
• avowing
• disinterring
• smoking out
• raking up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• concealing
• hiding
• covering (up)
• masking
• disguising
• shrouding
• cloaking
• veiling
• enshrouding
• camouflaging
• whitewashing
• obscuring
• glossing (over)
• varnishing
• overshadowing
• shading
• clouding
• darkening
• gilding
• eclipsing
• beclouding
• overcasting
• befogging
• bedimming

Synonym Chooser

How is the word telling different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of telling are cogent, convincing, sound, and valid. While all these words mean "having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance," telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter.

a telling example of bureaucratic waste

When would cogent be a good substitute for telling?

Although the words cogent and telling have much in common, cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation.

the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury

When is it sensible to use convincing instead of telling?

The synonyms convincing and telling are sometimes interchangeable, but convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept.

a convincing argument for welfare reform

When is sound a more appropriate choice than telling?

The words sound and telling can be used in similar contexts, but sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds.

a sound proposal for reviving the economy

Where would valid be a reasonable alternative to telling?

While the synonyms valid and telling are close in meaning, valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.

a valid reason for being absent

a valid marriage

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of telling

Adjective

Sunday did mark a pretty telling day for Wilson, though. —Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025

But the most telling window into DC Matt Patricia’s unit came a night earlier, when one of their previous foes played. —Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025

Verb

After a photo of her and Ryan Murphy appeared, Kardashian got down to business by sharing a screenshot of a telling X post. —Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

Ken Burns has been telling the story of America through his entire career with genre-defining documentaries on the Civil War, the Vietnam War, and now the American Revolution. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025