- present participle of appeal.
appealing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of appealing
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; appeal + -ing 2
Explanation
The adjective appealing describes someone who is able to attract interest or is easy to like. For example, your easy sense of humor and way of making people feel comfortable make you appealing to friends old and new. If you are appealing, people want to be around you. It might be that you are really nice, or a good listener, not to mention have good looks. Actors who are appealing tend to get a lot of parts because filmmakers know audiences will flock to see them, just as an appealing description of a dish on a menu will lead more people to order it. This something is appealing, it is — or will be — popular.
Vocabulary lists containing appealing
Call of Beauty: Synonyms for "Beautiful"
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Workshop 1, Part 2
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Freakonomics
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But we’re living in a time of hair transplants, peptides and body contouring, all appealing to men who want to optimize their appearance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
There’s a difference between being a “controversial” comic and appealing to the lowest common denominator.
From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2026
Calvasina observes, however, that tech outside of the United States still looks appealing on performance, valuation and demand metrics.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Finding new ways to make cars appealing has become more important than ever, at a time when European manufacturers are facing growing competition from Chinese brands.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
She looked so appealing and so pretty that I could not refuse her, and there was no possible reason why I should; so I took her with me.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
