Telling: meaning, definitions and examples

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telling

[ ˈtɛlɪŋ ]

Verb

^{Context #1 | Verb}

communication

Communicating information, facts, or news to someone in spoken or written form.

Synonyms

informing, recounting, reporting.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
telling	Used in casual everyday conversations when someone is talking to another person about something. He was telling me about his trip to Japan She was telling her parents about the movie she watched
informing	Commonly used in formal or official contexts when giving someone important information or news. The company is informing employees about the new policy changes The teacher is informing students about the upcoming test
reporting	Frequently used in formal contexts, especially in journalism, law enforcement, and business, when providing an account of something as a record, often involving factual data. The journalist is reporting on the latest political developments The witness is reporting the incident to the police
recounting	Typically used when someone is describing an event, especially in detail, often looking back on something that happened. She was recounting her experiences from the trip He spent the evening recounting his adventures from the hiking expedition

Examples of usage

He was telling me about his new job.
She told the students to be quiet.
I will tell her the good news later.
They are telling jokes at the party.
We need to tell them the truth.

^{Context #2 | Verb}

narration

Recounting a story or giving an account of events.

Synonyms

narrating, recounting, relating.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
telling	Repeated for emphasis on its flexible usage, suitable for various contexts, both casual and formal. She is telling the truth about what happened. They enjoy telling jokes at parties.
narrating	Typically used in the context of storytelling, often implying a more detailed or structured account. Frequently found in literary or formal settings. The author is narrating the events in the third person. He spent the evening narrating his adventures to the children.
recounting	This word implies providing a detailed account of events, often something that happened in the past. It is somewhat formal and is used when specific details are important. She was recounting her experiences from the trip abroad. He recounted the events leading up to the accident.
relating	Used to describe telling someone about a series of events or situations in a way that emphasizes the connection between them. It is more formal and often used in writing or speech. He is relating the key elements of the story to his audience. She kept relating her past experiences in the talk.

Examples of usage

She was telling a scary story around the campfire.
He told us about his adventures in the jungle.
The book tells the tale of a young wizard.

Translations

Translations of the word "telling" in other languages:

🇵🇹 contar

🇮🇳 कहना (Kehna)

🇩🇪 erzählen

🇮🇩 menceritakan

🇺🇦 розповідь

🇵🇱 opowiadanie

🇯🇵 語る (Kataru)

🇫🇷 raconter

🇪🇸 contar

🇹🇷 anlatma

🇰🇷 말하기 (Malhagi)

🇸🇦 إخبار (Ikhbar)

🇨🇿 vyprávění

🇸🇰 rozprávanie

🇨🇳 讲述 (Jiǎngshù)

🇸🇮 pripovedovanje

🇮🇸 segja frá

🇰🇿 айту

🇬🇪 მოთხრობა (Motkhroba)

🇦🇿 danışmaq

🇲🇽 contar

Etymology

The word 'telling' originated from the Old English word 'tellan', meaning 'to count, reckon'. Over time, its meaning evolved to include conveying information or narrating stories. The concept of telling stories has been a fundamental part of human communication throughout history, serving as a way to pass down knowledge, traditions, and experiences.

See also: foretell, foretelling, retelling, tell, telly.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #2,544, this word belongs to solid intermediate vocabulary. It's frequently used in both casual and formal contexts and is worth learning for better fluency.

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