telling
/ˈtelɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɛlɪŋ] /ˈtelɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈɛlɪŋ] /ˈte-liŋ How to pronounce telling (audio)/ (ame, mw)
telling — 形容詞
- tellingpositive
- more tellingcomparative
- most tellingsuperlative
1. making the true facts or feelings easy to notice, often through a small sign rat
看出端倪
讓真實情況或心思顯露出來
making the true facts or feelings easy to notice, often through a small sign rather than direct words
Ingrid's silence at dinner was more telling than her angry email.
Ingrid 在晚餐時的沉默，比那封生氣的 email 更讓人看出端倪。
be telling about true feelings
The muddy shoes were a telling sign that James had left early.
那雙沾滿泥巴的鞋，讓人看出 James 早早離開過。
telling sign + that-clause
A telling pause followed the question about who broke the window.
一問到是誰打破窗戶，接著那陣停頓就讓人看出端倪。
Mauricio's quick glance at the clock was a telling detail.
Mauricio 快速瞄向時鐘的那一眼，是個讓人看出端倪的細節。
- revealing
closest word, often more direct about hidden information becoming known
- suggestive
weaker, usually hinting at something rather than showing it clearly
- expressive
usually used for faces, voices, or movements that show feeling
文法句型
a telling sign that-clause
a telling pause
be telling about someone's feelings
用法筆記
Frequently used for a detail, pause, look, or silence that lets people see the truth without a direct statement. Distinguish it from adjective/2, which stresses strong effect instead of revelation.
2. having a strong effect or giving powerful support to a point or argument
有力；見效
效果強，或強到讓人信服
having a strong effect or giving powerful support to a point or argument
Rohan's quiet joke made a telling point about the unfair rule.
Rohan 那個輕描淡寫的玩笑，很有力地點出了那條不公平的規定。
telling point = strong supporting point
The late goal was a telling blow to the home team.
那顆晚進球對主隊是個很有力的打擊。
Selim offered one telling example that changed the whole meeting.
Selim 提出一個很有力的例子，改變了整場會議。
Aaron's calm reply had a telling effect on the angry crowd.
Aaron 冷靜的回應對那群憤怒的人很見效。
- effective
broader everyday word for producing the wanted result
- persuasive
focuses more on convincing people than on general impact
- forceful
stresses strength and energy, sometimes more direct or aggressive
- ineffective
fails to produce the intended result or impact
- weak
suggests little force or little influence
- unconvincing
specifically fails to persuade
文法句型
a telling point
a telling blow to someone
have a telling effect on something
用法筆記
Frequently used with nouns such as point, effect, example, statistic, and blow. Distinguish it from adjective/1, where telling reveals hidden truth rather than emphasizing force.