Definition of telling

"telling" in the noun sense

1. relation, telling, recounting

an act of narration

"he was the hero according to his own relation"

"his endless recounting of the incident eventually became unbearable"

2. telling, apprisal, notification

informing by words

3. tattle, singing, telling

disclosing information or giving evidence about another

"telling" in the verb sense

1. state, say, tell

express in words

"He said that he wanted to marry her"

"tell me what is bothering you"

"state your opinion"

"state your name"

2. tell

let something be known

"Tell them that you will be late"

3. tell, narrate, recount, recite

narrate or give a detailed account of

"Tell what happened"

"The father told a story to his child"

4. order, tell, enjoin, say

give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority

"I said to him to go home"

"She ordered him to do the shopping"

"The mother told the child to get dressed"

5. tell

discern or comprehend

"He could tell that she was unhappy"

6. assure, tell

inform positively and with certainty and confidence

"I tell you that man is a crook!"

7. tell, evidence

give evidence

"he was telling on all his former colleague"

8. distinguish, separate, differentiate, secern, secernate, severalize, severalise, tell, tell apart

mark as different

"We distinguish several kinds of maple"

"telling" in the adjective sense

1. revealing, telling, telltale

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

"a telling smile"

"a telltale panel of lights"

"a telltale patch of oil on the water marked where the boat went down"

2. cogent, telling, weighty

powerfully persuasive

"a cogent argument"

"a telling presentation"

"a weighty argument"

3. impressive, telling

producing a strong effect

"gave an impressive performance as Othello"

"a telling gesture"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

Princeton University "About WordNet®."
WordNet®. Princeton University. 2010.


View WordNet® License

Quotations for telling

A tale never loses in the telling. [ Proverb ]

The Raven's house is built with reeds, -
Sing woe, and alas is me!
And the Raven's couch is spread with weeds,
High on the hollow tree;
And the Raven himself, telling his beads
In penance for his past misdeeds.
Upon the top I see. [ Thos. Darcy McGee ]

Gardener, for telling me these news of woe.
Pray God the plants thou graft'st may never grow. [ Shakespeare ]

To fall in love is not difficult: the difficulty lies in telling it. [ A. de Musset ]

Telling the truth does good to him who hears, harm to him who speaks. [ German Proverb ]

Frankness consists in always telling the truth, but not always all the truth.

One of the marks of a mediocrity of intellect is to be given to story-telling. [ La Bruyère ]

Often most telling and often most unfair; stimulated by want of a juster argument. [ W. R. Alger ]

It is safer to be silent than to reveal one's secret to any one, and telling him not to mention it. [ Saadi ]

Man is nothing but insincerity, falsehood, and hypocrisy. He does not like to hear the truth, and he shuns telling it. [ Pascal ]

Life is constantly weighing us in very sensitive scales, and telling every one of us precisely what his real weight is to the last grain of dust. [ Lowell ]

I do not know what arguments mean in reference to any expression of a thought. I delight in telling what I think; but if you ask me how I dare say so, or why it is so, I am the most helpless of men. [ Emerson ]

Liquid, flowing words are the choicest and the best, if language is regarded as music. But when it is considered as a picture, then there are rough words which are very telling, - they make their mark. [ Joubert ]

Once when I was in Hawaii, on the island of Kauai, I met a mysterious old stranger. He said he was about to die and wanted to tell someone about the treasure. I said, Okay, as long as it's not a long story. Some of us have a plane to catch, you know. He started telling his story, about the treasure and his life and all, and I thought: This story isn't too long. But then, he kept going, and I started thinking, Uh-oh, this story is getting long. But then the story was over, and I said to myself: You know, that story wasn't too long after all. I forget what the story was about, but there was a good movie on the plane. It was a little long, though. [ Jack Handey, Deep Thoughts ]

This is my seventieth birthday, and I wonder if you all rise to the size of that proposition, realizing all the significance of that phrase, seventieth birthday. The seventieth birthday! It is the time of life when you arrive at a new and awful dignity; when you may throw aside the decent reserves which have oppressed you for a generation and stand unafraid and unabashed upon your seven-terraced summit and look down and teach--unrebuked. You can tell the world how you got there. It is what they all do. You shall never get tired of telling by what delicate arts and deep moralities you climbed up to that great place. You will explain the process and dwell on the particulars with senile rapture. I have been anxious to explain my own system this long time, and now at last I have the right. [ Mark Twain, Seventieth Birthday speech ]

telling in Scrabble®

The word telling is playable in Scrabble®, no blanks required.

Scrabble® Letter Score: 8

Highest Scoring Scrabble® Play In The Letters telling:

TELLING
(82 = 32 + 50)

Seven Letter Word Alert: (1 word)

telling

 

All Scrabble® Plays For The Word telling

TELLING
(82 = 32 + 50)
TELLING
(80 = 30 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(74 = 24 + 50)
TELLING
(72 = 22 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(64 = 14 + 50)
TELLING
(62 = 12 + 50)
TELLING
(62 = 12 + 50)
TELLING
(62 = 12 + 50)
TELLING
(62 = 12 + 50)
TELLING
(61 = 11 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(59 = 9 + 50)

The 200 Highest Scoring Scrabble® Plays For Words Using The Letters In telling

TELLING
(82 = 32 + 50)
TELLING
(80 = 30 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(77 = 27 + 50)
TELLING
(74 = 24 + 50)
TELLING
(72 = 22 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(70 = 20 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(68 = 18 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(66 = 16 + 50)
TELLING
(64 = 14 + 50)
TELLING
(62 = 12 + 50)
TELLING
(62 = 12 + 50)
TELLING
(62 = 12 + 50)
TELLING
(62 = 12 + 50)
TELLING
(61 = 11 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(60 = 10 + 50)
TELLING
(59 = 9 + 50)
TINGLE
(27)
TINGE
(24)
GLINT
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
LENTIL
(21)
LENTIL
(21)
LENTIL
(21)
LENTIL
(21)
GILL
(21)
TINGE
(21)
LINTEL
(21)
LINTEL
(21)
LINTEL
(21)
LINTEL
(21)
TING
(21)
GILT
(21)
LEGIT
(21)
LINTEL
(21)
LENTIL
(21)
GLEN
(21)
LEGIT
(21)
GENT
(21)
LEGIT
(21)
LEGIT
(21)
GLINT
(21)
GLINT
(21)
GLINT
(21)
TINGLE
(21)
TINGLE
(21)
LINTEL
(21)
LENTIL
(21)
TINGE
(21)
GELL
(21)
TINGE
(21)
GLINT
(20)
GILT
(18)
GLINT
(18)
LINTEL
(18)
INLET
(18)
GLINT
(18)
LEGIT
(18)
GLINT
(18)
LEGIT
(18)
TINGLE
(18)
GLEN
(18)
GELL
(18)
GILL
(18)
TINGE
(18)
LENTIL
(18)
LENTIL
(18)
TINGE
(18)
TING
(18)
LEGIT
(18)
INLET
(18)
INLET
(18)
GENT
(18)
TINGLE
(18)
TINGE
(18)
INLET
(18)
TINGLE
(18)
TINGLE
(18)
LINTEL
(18)
LENTIL
(16)
TINGE
(16)
LENTIL
(16)
LEGIT
(16)
LINTEL
(16)
TINGLE
(16)
LINTEL
(16)
LEGIT
(16)
LENTIL
(16)
TINGLE
(16)
TINGLE
(16)
GLINT
(16)
TINGLE
(16)
TINGLE
(16)
LINTEL
(16)
GLINT
(16)
GLINT
(16)
TINGE
(16)
TINGLE
(16)
LINTEL
(16)
LENTIL
(16)
INLET
(15)
TILL
(15)
TILL
(15)
LENT
(15)
INLET
(15)
TILE
(15)
GLEN
(15)
GELL
(15)
LENT
(15)
GLEN
(15)
LITE
(15)
TILE
(15)
GLEN
(15)
LITE
(15)
GELL
(15)
LINE
(15)
INLET
(15)
LILT
(15)
GELL
(15)
TELL
(15)
TELL
(15)
LILT
(15)
GLEN
(15)
GENT
(15)
GILL
(15)
TING
(15)
GENT
(15)
GILT
(15)
TINE
(15)
TING
(15)
GILL
(15)
GILL
(15)
GILT
(15)
GELL
(15)
TING
(15)
TING
(15)
GILT
(15)
GILT
(15)
LIEN
(15)
GENT
(15)
LINT
(15)
LINE
(15)
GENT
(15)
TINE
(15)
LIEN
(15)
LINT
(15)
GILL
(15)
TINGE
(14)
GLINT
(14)
LINTEL
(14)
TINGE
(14)
LINTEL
(14)
LINTEL
(14)
GLINT
(14)
TINGLE
(14)
TINGLE
(14)
LINTEL
(14)
TINGLE
(14)
TINGLE
(14)
TING
(14)
TINGLE
(14)
TINGE
(14)
INLET
(14)
GENT
(14)
TINGLE
(14)
INLET
(14)
LEGIT
(14)
LENTIL
(14)
LEGIT
(14)
TINGE
(14)
LENTIL
(14)

telling in Words With Friends™

The word telling is playable in Words With Friends™, no blanks required.

Words With Friends™ Letter Score: 12

Highest Scoring Words With Friends™ Plays In The Letters telling:

TELLING
(95 = 60 + 35)
TELLING
(95 = 60 + 35)

Seven Letter Word Alert: (1 word)

telling

 

All Words With Friends™ Plays For The Word telling

TELLING
(95 = 60 + 35)
TELLING
(95 = 60 + 35)
TELLING
(89 = 54 + 35)
TELLING
(89 = 54 + 35)
TELLING
(89 = 54 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(77 = 42 + 35)
TELLING
(77 = 42 + 35)
TELLING
(71 = 36 + 35)
TELLING
(67 = 32 + 35)
TELLING
(67 = 32 + 35)
TELLING
(65 = 30 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(61 = 26 + 35)
TELLING
(61 = 26 + 35)
TELLING
(61 = 26 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(57 = 22 + 35)
TELLING
(55 = 20 + 35)
TELLING
(53 = 18 + 35)
TELLING
(53 = 18 + 35)
TELLING
(53 = 18 + 35)
TELLING
(52 = 17 + 35)
TELLING
(52 = 17 + 35)
TELLING
(52 = 17 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(48 = 13 + 35)
TELLING
(48 = 13 + 35)
TELLING
(47 = 12 + 35)

The 200 Highest Scoring Words With Friends™ Plays Using The Letters In telling

TELLING
(95 = 60 + 35)
TELLING
(95 = 60 + 35)
TELLING
(89 = 54 + 35)
TELLING
(89 = 54 + 35)
TELLING
(89 = 54 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(83 = 48 + 35)
TELLING
(77 = 42 + 35)
TELLING
(77 = 42 + 35)
TELLING
(71 = 36 + 35)
TELLING
(67 = 32 + 35)
TELLING
(67 = 32 + 35)
TELLING
(65 = 30 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(63 = 28 + 35)
TELLING
(61 = 26 + 35)
TELLING
(61 = 26 + 35)
TELLING
(61 = 26 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(59 = 24 + 35)
TELLING
(57 = 22 + 35)
TELLING
(55 = 20 + 35)
TINGLE
(54)
TELLING
(53 = 18 + 35)
TELLING
(53 = 18 + 35)
TELLING
(53 = 18 + 35)
TELLING
(52 = 17 + 35)
TELLING
(52 = 17 + 35)
TELLING
(52 = 17 + 35)
LENTIL
(51)
LINTEL
(51)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(51 = 16 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(50 = 15 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TELLING
(49 = 14 + 35)
TINGLE
(48)
TINGLE
(48)
TELLING
(48 = 13 + 35)
TELLING
(48 = 13 + 35)
TELLING
(47 = 12 + 35)
GLINT
(45)
LENTIL
(45)
LINTEL
(45)
TINGLE
(42)
GLEN
(42)
TINGE
(42)
GELL
(42)
GILL
(42)
TINGLE
(42)
TINGLE
(40)
TINGLE
(40)
GILT
(39)
GLINT
(39)
GENT
(39)
GLINT
(39)
LINTEL
(39)
LENTIL
(39)
LINTEL
(39)
LENTIL
(39)
TING
(39)
LENTIL
(39)
LINTEL
(39)
LENTIL
(36)
TINGLE
(36)
GILL
(36)
LEGIT
(36)
LINTEL
(36)
TINGLE
(36)
GLINT
(36)
TINGLE
(36)
LINTEL
(36)
LENTIL
(36)
GELL
(36)
GLEN
(36)
GLINT
(33)
LINTEL
(33)
LENTIL
(33)
LINTEL
(33)
LINTEL
(33)
INLET
(33)
LENTIL
(33)
LENTIL
(33)
TINGE
(32)
LEGIT
(32)
LIEN
(30)
LEGIT
(30)
TINGE
(30)
TINGLE
(30)
LILT
(30)
LEGIT
(30)
TINGE
(30)
LIEN
(30)
LENT
(30)
TINGLE
(30)
LEGIT
(30)
GLINT
(30)
LINE
(30)
LINT
(30)
TINGE
(30)
TILL
(30)
TELL
(30)
TINGLE
(28)
INLET
(28)
INLET
(27)
GILT
(27)
LENTIL
(27)
LINTEL
(27)
GLINT
(27)
GENT
(27)
LINTEL
(27)
GLINT
(27)
LENTIL
(27)
INLET
(27)
INLET
(27)
TING
(27)
LITE
(27)
GLINT
(27)
LENTIL
(26)
LENTIL
(26)
LINTEL
(26)
TINGLE
(26)
LINTEL
(26)
GLINT
(24)
LINT
(24)
LEGIT
(24)
TELL
(24)
GLEN
(24)
GLEN
(24)
LINE
(24)
LEGIT
(24)
LEGIT
(24)
LEGIT
(24)
LENT
(24)
LILT
(24)
GLEN
(24)
GLEN
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
TINGE
(24)
GELL
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
GILL
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
TINGE
(24)
GILL
(24)
GELL
(24)
GILL
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
TINGLE
(24)
GELL
(24)
TILL
(24)
GELL
(24)
GILL
(24)
TINGE
(24)
LENTIL
(22)
GLEN
(22)
LINTEL
(22)
LINTEL
(22)
TINGLE
(22)
GLINT
(22)
TINGLE
(22)
GLINT
(22)
GELL
(22)
LENTIL
(22)
LENTIL
(22)
GILL
(22)
LENTIL
(22)
TINGE
(22)
LINTEL
(22)
GLINT
(22)
LINTEL
(22)
TINGLE
(22)
LENTIL
(22)
LINTEL
(22)
GENT
(21)
TINE
(21)
GENT
(21)
TINE
(21)

Words within the letters of telling

2 letter words in telling (4 words)

3 letter words in telling (15 words)

5 letter words in telling (4 words)

6 letter words in telling (3 words)

7 letter words in telling (1 word)

telling + 1 blank (1 word)

Words containing the sequence telling

Words that start with telling (2 words)

Words with telling in them (4 words)

Word Growth involving telling

Shorter words in telling

in

el ell tell

Longer words containing telling

fortunetelling fortunetellings

hostelling

mistelling

retelling foretelling

retelling retellings

storytelling storytellings

tellingly

truthtelling