ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Compelling

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /kəmˈpɛlɪŋ/ · Part of speech verb

Quick meaning: Compelling is a verb meaning present participle and gerund of compel.

Meaning

present participle and gerund of compel.

More Meanings

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

Example Sentences

He made a compelling argument.
I would need a very compelling reason to leave my job.
The novel was so compelling that I couldn't put it down.
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.

Word Forms

Synonyms for compelling

Depending on context, synonyms include gripping, convincing, urgent, pressing, powerful, persuasive.

Antonyms for compelling

Common opposites include admit.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include powerful, persuasive, engaging, riveting, eye-catching, fascinating.

Commonly Confused & Compared Words

Related Dictionary Tools

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.