Definition Synonyms
Definition of telling - Reverso English Dictionary
Adjective
1.
persuasionconvincing or effective in argument
- His telling argument won the debate.
2.
revelationrevealing important information or truths
- The telling detail exposed the truth.
Noun
1.
communicationdisclosure of information to others
- His telling of the secret surprised us all.
2.
expressiveeffective communication of ideas or feelings
- Her telling of the incident was very emotional and effective..
3.
narrationRare act of narrating or recountingRare
- The telling of the story captivated the audience..
Expressions with telling
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
impossibility of knowing something
There's no telling what will happen next.
showing truth clearly without hiding or softening facts
She gave a telling it like it is answer to the question.
repeat a false belief to oneself sarcastically
You think you're the best? Keep telling yourself that.
used to avoid revealing a secret or surprise
"What are you planning for my birthday?" "That would be telling."
impossible to know or predict what will happen
There is no telling what he will do next.
impossible to know or predict what will happen
There's no telling what he will do next.
you don't need to tell me
I know it's a bad idea. Who are you telling?
I strongly agree with you
This weather is awful! You're telling me!
in a way that has a strong impact
Her speech was delivered with telling effect.
hit or action that causes a strong effect or result
The boxer landed a telling blow in the final round.
used to emphasize the truth of a statement
I'm telling you, this is the best pizza in town.!
telling stories, real or imagined, to others
Tale-telling was a favorite pastime in the village.
in a way that produces a strong or impressive result
She used her words to telling effect.
related to predicting the future using methods
She bought a fortune-telling book for her collection.
Origin of telling
Old English, tellan (to count, recount)
Terms with telling included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
trust
accept someone is telling the truth
telling time
says the time is fifteen minutes before the next hour
deception
the act of telling falsehoods intentionally
deceitful
habitually telling falsehoods or untruths
decision action
done despite someone telling you not to
art
series of drawings telling a story
reassurance
used to calm someone, telling them there is no need to worry
fortune telling
the practice of interpreting lines on the palm to predict the future
truth
avoid telling the truth to protect emotions
detect deception
notice when someone is not telling the truth
safety
sign telling drivers to wait before proceeding
character
honest and always telling the truth
safety
communication telling people about possible danger or negative result ahead
encouragement
encouraging phrase telling someone not to hold back or feel nervous
traffic
instruction telling people or vehicles to stay on the left side
religion
telling sins to a priest for forgiveness
information
unable to stop telling a secret or news
stage act
performer who entertains by telling jokes
magic
glass sphere used for fortune-telling
storytelling
telling a story or describing events in speech or writing
storytelling
the act of telling a story or event
telling to leave
tell someone to leave immediately, often in a direct way
storytelling
continue telling a story from a certain point
retell narrative
start telling a story after hearing it
Examples of telling in a sentence
The statistics were telling in proving the point. Her telling gesture revealed her true feelings. The telling signs of fatigue were evident. The telling of the story captivated the audience. Her telling of the events was both detailed and engaging. His telling of the story captivated everyone.
The telling of their journey was inspiring. Her telling of the events was both dramatic and engaging. The telling of his adventures took hours.
View all translations of telling
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:convaincant, divulgation, ...
- German:überzeugend, Erzählen, ...
- Italian:convincente, rivelazione, ...
- Spanish:contundente, revelación, ...
- Portuguese:convincente, revelação, ...
- Chinese:有力的, 告知, ...
- Japanese:説得力のある, 暴露, ...
- Arabic:مُقْنِع, بَوْح, ...
- Hebrew:מְשַׁכְנֵעַ, גִּלּוּי, ...
- Russian:убедительный, рассказ, ...
- Ukrainian:переконливий, розповідь, ...
- Hindi:प्रभावशाली, बताना, ...
Definition of tell - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
informtr. convey information to someonetr.
- She will tell him the news.
2.
instructtr. order or instruct someone to do somethingtr.
- I told him to clean his room..
3.
storytellingtr./intr. narrate a story or eventtr./intr.
- He loves to tell ghost stories.
4.
recognitiontr. discern or recognize differencestr.
- Can you tell the twins apart?
5.
communicationtr. reveal a secret or informationtr.
- He promised not to tell anyone.
6.
lawtr. UK inform someone in authority about a wrongdoingtr. UK
- The child went to tell on his friend.
7.
impactintr. have a noticeable or significant effectintr.
- The wear and tear could tell on the machinery..
Noun
1.
pokerbehavior revealing hidden information
- His nervous tapping was a tell during the game.
2.
archaeologyTECH. archaeological mound or hill indicating human habitationTECH.
- The team excavated the tell for ancient artifacts..
3.
internetRare US private message in a chat roomRare US
- She sent him a tell to join the game.
Images of tell
archaeological mound or hill indicating human habitation
Expressions with tell
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
tell everything without emphasis on secrecy
He was asked to tell all about his day.
see differences between similar things
I can't tell apart the twins.
recognize differences between two or more things
I can tell from his accent that he's French.
reprimand someone in a harsh manner
She told him off for being late.
difficult to determine or decide
It's hard to tell if it will rain today.
expresses uncertainty about future events or outcomes
You never can tell what will happen next.
say something untrue to avoid hurting someone
She decided to tell a white lie to avoid hurting his feelings.
say something else
That joke was funny, tell me another one.
distinguish between morally correct and incorrect actions
She learned to tell right from wrong at a young age.
predict someone's future using supernatural methods
The psychic will tell your fortune using tarot cards.
indicates inability to know something
Who can tell why she left so suddenly?
expresses uncertainty about future events or outcomes
You can never tell what the weather will be like.
used to prompt someone to give their opinion
"What do you think of the movie?" "You tell me."
express mild interest or surprise in conversation
Oh, do tell me more about your trip!
the future will reveal the outcome of a situation
Only time can tell if their relationship will last.
predict someone's future using mystical methods
She claims she can tell fortunes with tarot cards.
to speak frankly, conveying all and only the truth of a situation
She always tells it like it is, no matter who is listening..
inform an authority about someone's wrongdoing
She threatened to tell on him to the teacher.
speak honestly and directly to someone
I decided to tell him straight about my feelings.
report someone for doing something wrong
He likes to tell tales about his classmates.
only time can reveal the outcome of events
Only time alone will tell if they succeed.
the future will reveal the truth or outcome
Only time will tell if the plan works.
reveal a secret to someone trusted
Please don't tell a soul about this.
based on available information, this is the best guess
As near as Maria can tell, the show starts at eight tonight.
Origin of tell
Old English, tellan (to count)
Examples of tell in a sentence
Please tell me your decision by tomorrow. She told him to stay quiet. They told us to wait outside. She will tell the tale of their adventure. Grandpa likes to tell stories from his youth. I can tell the difference between real and fake smiles.
It's hard to tell which one is the original painting. She couldn't help but tell the truth. Don't tell the secret to anyone else. She threatened to tell on the student who cheated. If you tell on them, the principal will investigate. The stress began to tell on her face. His hard work will tell in the final results. His constant blinking was a tell in the poker match. A slight smirk was her tell during the game. The tell revealed layers of ancient civilizations. Archaeologists mapped the tell to understand its history. He received a tell about the secret meeting. A tell popped up with the latest news.
View all translations of tell
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:informer, signe révélateur, ...
- German:mitteilen, Anzeichen, ...
- Italian:dire, segnale, ...
- Spanish:contar, indicio, ...
- Portuguese:informar, sinal, ...
- Chinese:告诉, 迹象, ...
- Japanese:伝える, 癖, ...
- Arabic:أَخْبَرَ, إشارة, ...
- Hebrew:לְהוֹדִיעַ, סִימָן מַסְגִּיר, ...
- Russian:сообщить, сигнал, ...
- Ukrainian:повідомляти, знак, ...
- Hindi:बताना, टेल, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the