telling — revealing or indicating something significant
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: revealing or indicating something significant
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈtelɪŋ/
Example Sentences
- The empty pizza boxes in his room were a telling sign that he hadn't been studying.
- Her telling of the ghost story made everyone too scared to sleep.
- The student's yawn during the lecture was quite telling about the teacher's presentation skills.
telling
ADJECTIVE[/ˈtelɪŋ/]
revealing or indicating something significant
Her trembling hands gave a telling sign that she was hiding something.
Her selling is telling about this dwelling.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old English 'tellan' meaning 'to count' or 'to relate,' which evolved to mean 'to communicate or reveal information.' The word is related to Germanic roots meaning 'to talk' or 'to count.'
Breakdown
tell (to communicate or reveal) + -ing (present participle suffix indicating an ongoing action or noun form) = telling
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The empty pizza boxes in his room were a telling sign that he hadn't been studying.”
“Her telling of the ghost story made everyone too scared to sleep.”
“The student's yawn during the lecture was quite telling about the teacher's presentation skills.”
“The telling expression on her face revealed she knew the surprise party secret.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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