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.
For some people, clerical work like this is daunting and makes working a 9-to-5 job much more appealing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Officers from the force's serious collision investigation unit are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have dashcam footage to come forward.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The businessman filmed people making off with over six containers of lighting equipment the morning after the tremors, appealing for help on social media but to no avail.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
Le Pen went on the evening news to announce she was both appealing her conviction with France’s high court and throwing her hat into the presidential race.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Jule thought of the most appealing thing she could say, and it turned out to be the truth.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
Definitions 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.
