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Compelling

/kəmˈpɛlɪŋ/ · verb

Meaning

present participle and gerund of compel.

Definitions by Sense

  1. present participle and gerund of compel
  2. very interesting; able to capture and hold one's attention
  3. capable of causing someone to believe or agree
  4. strong and forceful; that causes one to feel like they must do something
  5. An act of compulsion; an obliging somebody to do something.

Example Sentences

The novel was so compelling that I couldn't put it down.
The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about "creating compelling content", or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing", "share the things you love with the world" and so on.
He made a compelling argument.
Terry's goal looked to have put Chelsea in control on the stroke of half-time but Arsenal's response presented a compelling case for Wenger's insistence that reports of his side's demise have been greatly exaggerated.
I would need a very compelling reason to leave my job.

Synonyms for compelling

Antonyms for compelling

Related Words

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does compelling mean?

Compelling means present participle and gerund of compel.

What is a synonym for compelling?

Common synonyms include gripping, convincing, urgent, pressing.

What is the opposite of compelling?

Possible antonyms include admit, let in, allow in.

How do you use compelling in a sentence?

The novel was so compelling that I couldn't put it down.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.