appealing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- appealingly adverb
- appealingness noun
- nonappealing adjective
- nonappealingly adverb
- nonappealingness noun
- quasi-appealing adjective
- quasi-appealingly adverb
- unappealing adjective
- unappealingly adverb
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.
Some cities have joined Airbnb in trying to make hosting a more appealing proposition.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
If this is appealing, investors could buy the January $110 call, which cost about $19 when the stock was at $94.75.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
For Sandisk, a 10-for-1 stock split would reset the price to the low triple digits, which can be psychologically more appealing to retail investors.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
However, a University of Florida researcher warns that this appealing mushroom is quietly spreading into natural forests and is now appearing in markets across Florida.
From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026
If so, it was a waste of time and money, because he’s not appealing at all.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
