telling

TEL-ing/ˈtɛlɪŋ/

Noun pluraltellings

7 meanings of telling

1
meaningfuladjective
Showing something important, often without anyone meaning to reveal it.
Like a small footprint that shows someone walked by.
Her telling silence said more than any words could.
He gave a telling glance at the clock when she arrived late.
UsageOften in it is telling that ..., or after is or was: her silence was telling.
Similarrevealing, significant, meaningful
Oppositeinsignificant, meaningless
2
speaking toverb
The -ing form of tell, as in she is telling a story or he kept telling jokes.
She is telling the children a bedtime story.
He kept telling the same joke all evening.
Note
3
nouncountable or uncountable
The act of sharing a story with others, by speaking or writing.
Like reading a story out loud so others can hear it.
The telling of the story kept the children quiet.
Grandpa's telling of the fishing story gets funnier every year.
UsageOften in the telling: the story grows in the telling. One story can have many tellings.
Similarnarration, recounting, account
4
knowingnoununcountable
The ability to know or work out something for certain.
Like trying to guess tomorrow's weather with no clues at all.
There is no telling what the new puppy will chew next.
Once the rumor spread, there was no telling where it would stop.
UsageUsually there's no telling + when, what, how: there's no telling what will happen.
Similarknowing, saying
Note

Less common meanings

5
forcefuladjective
Strong and effective, making people agree or causing a real result.
Like a hammer hit that lands hard and does the job.
The boxer threw a telling punch that ended the fight.
A telling point in the debate won the crowd over.
UsageOften in a telling blow or a telling point: one that really works.
Note
6
noununcountable
The act of letting out information or secrets to others.
The telling of the secret upset everyone at the party.
After years of silence, the telling of her secret brought her relief.
UsageUsed for sharing information or secrets, as in the telling of a secret. Revealing is a common alternative.
Similardisclosure, revelation
Oppositeconcealment
Note
7
countingnounarchaicuncountable
The act of counting things one by one.
Note

telling is a form of tell

tell, verb: To say something to someone, such as facts, the truth, a lie or how to do something. Full entry

Forms: telltells he/she/ittelling -ing formtold past tense, past participle
Spelling: tell → telling: add -ing

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of telling apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

A form of the verb "tell," made by adding "-ing."

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

'Telling' is a form of 'tell' made by adding '-ing'. en.wiktionary.org