telltale

CEFRC1

/ˈtɛlteɪl/

adjective · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Revealing something that was meant to stay hidden.

  2. 02

    noun

    A sign that reveals something.

Examples

  • Nested dolls are a telltale Russian export.

  • The school telltale reported Tom to the principal for smoking behind the gym.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. An indicator, such as a warning light, that serves to warn of a hazard or problem.

  2. Something that serves to reveal something else.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others.

More examples

In context

  • A telltale blush crept into her cheeks as he approached.

  • I noticed the snow was dirty, a telltale sign of recent human presence.

  • The telltale was the lipstick on his shirt collar.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The red marks on his face were a blank sign that he was embarrassed.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From tell + tale, perhaps dissimilated from earlier taleteller, from Middle English tale tellere (literally “tale teller”).