telltale C1 Topic:People & Society Also spelled tell-tale US /ˈtɛlteɪl/ See IPA manual Freq #31372 Meanings 1 adj Clearly revealing something, often something meant to be hidden. The dirty footprints were a telltale sign that someone had been inside. 2 noun Something that reveals or gives away a hidden fact. The lipstick on his collar was the telltale that gave him away. 3 noun A person who reports others' secrets or misbehaviour to get them in trouble. Nobody trusted him because he was known as a telltale. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · clearly revealing... telling 3 noun · a person who reports... tattlerblabbermouthgossip Word family Forms telltales Etymology AI details From tell + tale, perhaps dissimilated from earlier taleteller, from Middle English tale tellere (literally “tale teller”). tale tellere Middle English View etymology graph -> Topics People & Society External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # telltale **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** adj, noun **IPA (US):** /ˈtɛlteɪl/ **Frequency rank:** 31372 ## Meanings 1. Clearly revealing something, often something meant to be hidden. 2. Something that reveals or gives away a hidden fact. 3. A person who reports others' secrets or misbehaviour to get them in trouble. ## Examples - The dirty footprints were a telltale sign that someone had been inside. - The lipstick on his collar was the telltale that gave him away. - Nobody trusted him because he was known as a telltale. ## Roots and Affixes - Root: tale tellere ## Etymology From tell + tale, perhaps dissimilated from earlier taleteller, from Middle English tale tellere (literally “tale teller”). ## AI Etymology Telltale is from tell + tale, perhaps dissimilated from earlier taleteller, from Middle English tale tellere (literally “tale teller”). In present-day use, it can mean clearly revealing something, often something meant to be hidden, or something that reveals or gives away a hidden fact. ## Topics - People & Society markdown