Word Study
telling (root: tell)
CIDE DICTIONARY
telling, a.
Operating with great effect; effective; as, a telling speech. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
telling, adj.
1 having a marked effect; striking.
2 significant.
1 having a marked effect; striking.
2 significant.
Derivative
tellingly adv.
THESAURUS
telling
absolute, accounting, acid, adducible, admissible, agitating, announcement, armipotent, attestative, attestive, authentic, authoritative, based on, biting, breathtaking, celebrated, census, certain, charged, charismatic, charming, circumstantial, cliff-hanging, cogent, conclusive, consequential, considerable, conspicuous, conveyance, convincing, corrosive, counting, cumulative, cutting, dactylonomy, damning, decisive, determinative, disclosure, disquieting, distinguished, distracting, disturbing, documentary, documented, driving, dynamic, effective, effectual, efficacious, electric, eminent, enchanting, energetic, enumeration, esteemed, estimable, evidential, evidentiary, ex parte, exceptional, exciting, exhilarating, extraordinary, eye-witness, factual, final, firsthand, foliation, forceful, forcible, founded on, galvanic, giving, grounded on, gutsy, heady, hearsay, heart-expanding, heart-stirring, heart-swelling, heart-thrilling, high-potency, high-powered, high-pressure, high-tension, impartation, imparting, impartment, imperative, implicit, important, impressive, in force, in power, incisive, incontrovertible, indicative, indisputable, inflammatory, influential, intoxicating, inventorying, irrefutable, irresistible, jarring, jolting, maddening, magnetic, marked, material, measurement, memorable, mighty, mighty in battle, mind-blowing, momentous, mordant, moving, narration, narrative, nervous, noble, notable, noteworthy, notification, numbering, numeration, nuncupative, of mark, operative, outstanding, overcoming, overmastering, overpowering, overwhelming, pagination, penetrating, personable, persuasive, perturbing, piercing, piquant, poignant, potent, powerful, prepotent, prestigious, presumptive, probative, prominent, provocative, provoking, publication, puissant, punchy, quantification, quantization, rare, ravishing, recital, recountal, recounting, rehearsal, relation, reliable, remarkable, rememberable, reputable, retelling, review, ruling, salient, satisfactory, satisfying, sensational, sharing, signal, significant, sinewed, sinewy, slashing, solid, soul-stirring, sound, special, spirit-stirring, stimulating, stimulative, stirring, striking, strong, suasive, substantial, suggestive, sure, suspenseful, suspensive, symptomatic, tale-telling, tallying, tantalizing, thrilling, thrilly, transfer, transference, transmission, transmittal, trenchant, troubling, unforgettable, unsettling, upsetting, valid, vigorous, vital, weighty, winning, yarn spinningROGET THESAURUS
telling
Importance
N importance, consequence, moment, prominence, consideration, mark, materialness, import, significance, concern, emphasis, interest, greatness, superiority, notability, weight, value, usefulness, gravity, seriousness, solemnity, no joke, no laughing matter, pressure, urgency, stress, matter of life and death, memorabilia, notabilia, great doings, red-letter day, great thing, great point, main chance, the be all and the end all, cardinal point, substance, gist, sum and substance, gravamen, head and front, important part, principal part, prominent part, essential part, half the battle, sine qua non, breath of one's nostrils, cream, salt, core, kernel, heart, nucleus, keynote, keystone, corner stone, trump card, salient points, top sawyer, first fiddle, prima donna, chief, triton among the minnows, 'it', important, of importance, momentous, material, to the point, not to be overlooked, not to be despised, not to be sneezed at, egregious, weighty, of note, notable, prominent, salient, signal, memorable, remarkable, unforgettable, worthy of remark, worthy of notice, never to be forgotten, stirring, eventful, grave, serious, earnest, noble, grand, solemn, impressive, commanding, imposing, urgent, pressing, critical, instant, paramount, essential, vital, all-absorbing, radical, cardinal, chief, main, prime, primary, principal, leading, capital, foremost, overruling, of vital importance in the front rank, first-rate, superior, considerable, marked, rare, significant, telling, trenchant, emphatic, pregnant, tanti, materially, in the main, above all, kat' exochin, par excellence, to crown all, to beat all, expende Hannibalem!.Excitation
N excitation of feeling, mental excitement, suscitation, galvanism, stimulation, piquance, piquancy, provocation, inspiration, calling forth, infection, animation, agitation, perturbation, subjugation, fascination, intoxication, enravishment, entrancement, pressure, tension, high pressure, unction, impressiveness, trail of temper, casus belli, irritation, passion, thrill, repression of feeling, sensationalism, yellow journalism, excited, wrought up, up the qui vive, astir, sparkling, in a quiver, in a fever, in a ferment, in a blaze, in a state of excitement, in hysterics, black in the face, overwrought, tense, taught, on a razor's edge, hot, red-hot, flushed, feverish, all of a twitter, in a pucker, with quivering lips, with tears in one's eyes, flaming, boiling over, ebullient, seething, foaming at the mouth, fuming, raging, carried away by passion, wild, raving, frantic, mad, distracted, beside oneself, out of one's wits, ready to burst, bouleverse, demoniacal, lost, eperdu, tempest-tossed, haggard, ready to sink, stung to the quick, up, on one's high ropes, exciting, absorbing, riveting, distracting, impressive, warm, glowing, fervid, swelling, imposing, spirit-stirring, thrilling, high-wrought, soul-stirring, soul-subduing, heart-stirring, heart- swelling, heart-thrilling, agonizing, telling, sensational, hysterical, overpowering, overwhelming, more than flesh and blood can bear, yellow, piquant, spicy, appetizing, provocative, provoquant, tantalizing, eager to go, anxious to go, chafing at the bit, till one is black in the face, the heart beating high, the heart going pitapat, the heart leaping into one's mouth, the blood being up, the blood boiling in one's veins, the eye glistening, the eyes in a fine frenzy rolling, the head turned, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.For further exploring for "telling" in Webster Dictionary Online