I. tell ‧ ing 1 /ˈtelɪŋ/ BrE AmE adjective
1 . having a great or important effect SYN significant :
a telling argument
2 . showing the true character or nature of someone or something, often without being intended SYN revealing
telling comment/example/detail etc
—tellingly adverb
II. telling 2 BrE AmE noun
1 . [uncountable and countable] when you tell a story:
The story gets better with each telling.
2 . there is no telling used to say that there is no way to know what will happen in a certain situation:
There’s no telling who is going to show up tonight.