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telling

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of telling

having the power to persuade

  • presented us with telling evidence that convinced us he was right
Synonyms of telling

cogent, compelling, conclusive, convincing, decisive, effective, forceful, persuasive, satisfying, strong
Words Related to telling

authoritative, definitive

sound, valid, well-founded

important, significant, weighty

material, pertinent, relevant
Near Antonyms of telling

groundless, invalid, shaky, unfounded, unsound

inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant

immaterial, irrelevant

feeble, weak
Antonyms of telling

inconclusive, indecisive, ineffective, uncompelling, unconvincing, unpersuasive

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.
    • a valid reason for being absent
    • a valid marriage
sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds.
    • a sound proposal for reviving the economy
cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation.
    • the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury
convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept.
    • a convincing argument for welfare reform
telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter.
    • a telling example of bureaucratic waste

Learn More about telling

  1. See words that rhyme with telling Dictionary: Definition of telling Nglish: Translation of telling for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of telling for Arabic speakers

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