telling

telling

adj

Definition of TELLING

: carrying great weight and producing a marked effect : effective, expressive <the most telling evidence>

— tell·ing·ly \-liŋ-lē\ adverb

Examples of TELLING

1. Her experience is a telling example of why the nation's educational system needs to be changed.
2. The most telling moment in the case was when the victim took the stand.

First Known Use of TELLING

1851

Related to TELLING

Synonyms: compelling, conclusive, convincing, decisive, effective, forceful, persuasive, satisfying, strong, cogent

Antonyms: inconclusive, indecisive, ineffective, uncompelling, unconvincing, unpersuasive

Related Words: authoritative, definitive; sound, valid, well-founded; important, significant, weighty; material, pertinent, relevant

Near Antonyms: groundless, invalid, shaky, unfounded, unsound; inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant; immaterial, irrelevant; feeble, weak

[+]more[-]hide

See Synonym Discussion at valid

Rhymes with TELLING

dwelling, spelling, swelling