Standard Lemma guide

telltale

adj · noun · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtɛlteɪl/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: T EH1 L T EY2 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Revealing something, especially something not intended to be known.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I noticed the snow was dirty, a telltale sign of recent human presence.
  • A telltale blush crept into her cheeks as he approached.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blabbermouth, gossip, rumormonger, squealer, talebearer, tattletale, carrytale, blab, blabtale, blabtongue, busybody, buzzer, gossiper, gossipmonger, meddler, mouth, mumblenews, newsmonger, rumourmonger, scandalmonger, sleazemonger, tabby, talecarrier, telltale, telltale tit, titivil, tittle-tattle, town crier, whisperer

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Something that serves to reveal something else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • The telltale was the lipstick on his shirt collar.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A movable piece of ivory, lead, or other material, connected to the bellows of an organ, whose position indicates when the wind is exhausted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A length of yarn or ribbon attached to a sail or shroud etc to indicate the direction of the flow of the air relative to the boat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A mechanical attachment to the steering wheel, which, in the absence of a tiller, shows the position of the helm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A compass in the cabin of a vessel, usually placed where the captain can see it at all hours, and thus inform himself of the vessel's course.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A machine or contrivance for indicating or recording something, particularly for keeping a check upon employees (factory hands, watchmen, drivers, etc.) by revealing to their employers what they have done or omitted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A bird, the tattler.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

A story or fable that has a moral or message.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

someone who gossips indiscreetly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tattletale, tattler, taleteller, talebearer, blabbermouth

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gossip, gossiper, gossipmonger, rumormonger, rumourmonger, newsmonger

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

101 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: revelador — revealing something
  • Danish: afslørende — revealing something
  • Danish: røbende — revealing something
  • Dutch: onthullend — revealing something
  • Finnish: paljastava — revealing something
  • French: révélateur — revealing something
  • French: révélatrice — revealing something
  • German: verräterisch — revealing something
  • German: enthüllend — revealing something
  • Italian: rivelatore — revealing something
  • Italian: rivelatrice — revealing something
  • Portuguese: delator — revealing something
  • Russian: обличительный (obličitelʹnyj) — revealing something
  • Russian: выдающий (vydajuščij) — revealing something
  • Russian: свидетельствующий (svidetelʹstvujuščij) — revealing something
  • Russian: предательский (predatelʹskij) — revealing something
  • Spanish: delator — revealing something
  • Swedish: avslöjande — revealing something
  • Turkish: belli eden — revealing something
  • Turkish: gerçeği açığa vuran — revealing something
  • Turkish: gösteren — revealing something
  • Welsh: dadlennol — revealing something
  • Welsh: arwyddocaol — revealing something
  • Albanian: tregimtar — one who divulges private information
  • Albanian: thashethonjë — one who divulges private information
  • Bulgarian: издайник (izdajnik) — one who divulges private information
  • Bulgarian: доносник (donosnik) — one who divulges private information
  • Catalan: espieta — one who divulges private information
  • Danish: sladrehank — one who divulges private information
  • Danish: sladderhank — one who divulges private information
  • Dutch: klikspaan — one who divulges private information
  • Esperanto: stukaĉo — one who divulges private information
  • Esperanto: klaĉulo — one who divulges private information
  • Finnish: juorukello — one who divulges private information
  • Finnish: ilmiantaja — one who divulges private information
  • Galician: lercho — one who divulges private information
  • Galician: lercha — one who divulges private information
  • German: Petzer — one who divulges private information
  • German: Petze — one who divulges private information
  • German: Petzerin — one who divulges private information
  • Persian: سخنچین (soxan-čin) — one who divulges private information
  • Persian: سپزگ (sepazg) — one who divulges private information
  • Persian: چغل (čoġol) — one who divulges private information
  • Polish: kapuś — one who divulges private information
  • Polish: skarżypyta — one who divulges private information
  • Portuguese: fofoqueiro — one who divulges private information
  • Romanian: limbut — one who divulges private information
  • Romanian: denunțător — one who divulges private information
  • Romanian: guraliv — one who divulges private information
  • Russian: болту́н (boltún) — one who divulges private information
  • Russian: спле́тник (splétnik) — one who divulges private information
  • Spanish: correveidile — one who divulges private information
  • Spanish: gacetilla — one who divulges private information
  • Turkish: dedikoducu — one who divulges private information
  • Turkish: ispiyoncu — one who divulges private information
  • Turkish: muhbir — one who divulges private information
  • Welsh: clebryn — one who divulges private information
  • Albanian: tregimtar — tattletale; squealer
  • Albanian: thashethonjë — tattletale; squealer
  • Bulgarian: доносник (donosnik) — tattletale; squealer
  • Dutch: klikspaan — tattletale; squealer
  • Esperanto: stukaĉo — tattletale; squealer
  • Esperanto: denuncisto — tattletale; squealer
  • Finnish: juorukello — tattletale; squealer
  • Finnish: kantelupukki — tattletale; squealer
  • Galician: acusón — tattletale; squealer
  • Galician: delator — tattletale; squealer
  • German: Petze — tattletale; squealer
  • Polish: plotkarz — tattletale; squealer
  • Polish: plotkara — tattletale; squealer
  • Polish: plotkarka — tattletale; squealer
  • Russian: я́беда (jábeda) — tattletale; squealer
  • Russian: доносчик (donosčik) — tattletale; squealer
  • Spanish: soplón — tattletale; squealer
  • Spanish: soplona — tattletale; squealer
  • Spanish: acusica — tattletale; squealer
  • Welsh: clapgi — tattletale; squealer
  • Welsh: clebryn — tattletale; squealer
  • Dutch: aanwijzing — something that serves to reveal
  • Finnish: paljastaja — something that serves to reveal
  • German: Anzeige — something that serves to reveal
  • German: Hinweis — something that serves to reveal
  • German: Indikator — something that serves to reveal
  • Russian: намёк (namjók) — something that serves to reveal
  • Russian: улика (ulika) — something that serves to reveal
  • Spanish: indicador — something that serves to reveal
  • Catalan: grímpola — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • Finnish: virtauslanka — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • Finnish: juorulanka — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • German: Fadensonde — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • Italian: mostravento — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • Spanish: grímpola — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • Spanish: cataviento — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • Turkish: gösterge — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • Turkish: sayaç — nautical: yarn that indicates relative direction of airflow
  • Finnish: peräsinkulman osoitin — nautical: mechanical attachment to the steering wheel
  • Dutch: controleapparaat — engineering: contrivance for indicating or recording something
  • Finnish: näyttölaite — engineering: contrivance for indicating or recording something
  • German: Kontrolleinrichtung — engineering: contrivance for indicating or recording something
  • Russian: индика́тор (indikátor) — engineering: contrivance for indicating or recording something
  • Russian: указа́тель (ukazátelʹ) — engineering: contrivance for indicating or recording something