She insisted on telling me her whole life story.tellingtell‧ing1 /ˈtelɪŋ/ adjective 
a telling argument2showing the true character or nature of someone or something, often without being intended SYN revealingtelling comment/example/detail etc—tellingly adverb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The case will have a telling impact on the automotive industry.
- Barnes, moving wide to the left, at last got over a telling cross but Ferdinand completely missed the ball in front of goal.
- The most telling exchanges came between Sir Lewis and his long-time sparring partner, shareholder James Middlemass.
- The tomb stands today as a telling memorial to the period.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She insisted on telling me her whole life story. Was he telling porkies again?COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
She insisted on telling me her whole life story. Was he telling porkies again?· Even more telling is the example of Ralph Snaith, the bailiff of Pontefract.· There is a more telling comparison.· The effect will be all the more telling.· The cadence of the prose in the short version often emphasises meaning with a more telling precision than in the long version.· And even more telling, the slow, sad exodus of young traders who find they no longer have a job.· The contrasts between the two men are far more telling.· In the next chapter, I move on to a more interesting, more telling and more fruitful critique of inductivism.· Mr. Mellor My hon. Friend is absolutely right, but the international comparisons are even more telling.
· The remarkable growth of the Lord Chancellor's chambers into a major department of State has been the most telling event yet.· The most telling indicator of Railfreight's success in the 1980s was the unprecedented turnround in its financial performance.· Perhaps the most telling measure of performance comes from a straight comparison with the R25 V6.· This is your theme, your most telling argument, recommendation or proposal.· The most telling exchanges came between Sir Lewis and his long-time sparring partner, shareholder James Middlemass.· In a fight between men who are past their prime, the most telling factor surely must be motivation.· The greatest, and definitely the most telling damage would be done by nuclear armaments.· This is the most telling way in which the loss of community may be brought poignantly home to the farm worker.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► I don’t mind admitting/telling you/saying etc
1having a great or important effect SYN significant: - It probably loses something in the translation from the original Latin.
a telling argument2showing the true character or nature of someone or something, often without being intended SYN revealingtelling comment/example/detail etc—tellingly adverb