telling

(archaic outside of idioms) To count, reckon, or enumerate.

“All told, there were over a dozen. Can you tell time on a clock? He had untold wealth.”

To narrate.

“I want to tell a story; I want to tell you a story.”

To convey by speech; to say.

“Finally, someone told him the truth. He seems to like to tell lies.”

To instruct or inform.

“Please tell me how to do it.”

To order; to direct, to say to someone.

“Tell him to go away.”

To discern, notice, identify or distinguish.

“Can you tell whether those flowers are real or silk, from this distance? No, there's no way to tell.”

To reveal.

“Time will tell what became of him.”

To be revealed.

To have an effect, especially a noticeable one; to be apparent, to be demonstrated.

“Sir Gerald was moving slower; his wounds were beginning to tell.”

To use (beads or similar objects) as an aid to prayer.

To inform someone in authority about a wrongdoing.

“I saw you steal those sweets! I'm going to tell!”

(authorship) To reveal information in prose through outright expository statement -- contrasted with show

“Maria rewrote the section of her novel that talked about Meg and Sage's friendship to have less telling and more showing.”

Having force, or having a marked effect; weighty, effective.

“a telling blow”

Revealing information; bearing significance.

“a telling smile”

Serving to convince.

“telling evidence”

The act of narration.

The disclosure of information.

Counting, numbering.

(usually in the negative) Ability to determine.