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Showing results for "appealing"
  • present participle of appeal.
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Synonyms

appealing

American  
[uh-pee-ling] / əˈpi lɪŋ /

adjective

  1. evoking or attracting interest, desire, curiosity, sympathy, or the like; attractive.


appealing British  
/ əˈpiːlɪŋ /

adjective

  1. attractive or pleasing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing appealing

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.

See Examples For:

The simplicity of Coast FI makes it both appealing and difficult to rely on.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 7, 2026

“You’re adding to that element of scarcity that makes blind boxes so appealing in the first place,” Karmarkar said.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 4, 2026

She has told us that she’ll be there to help us as we get older, which makes being nearby particularly appealing.

From MarketWatch Sep. 3, 2026

Foreign ministry spokesman Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri, appealing for international support, including specialist teams and kit to "locate people who may be buried under debris", said the mountain geography was adding to the challenge.

From Barron's Aug. 31, 2026

I liked that Margot had decided, reflecting on the small collection of times she had “known” me, that I would have been appealing to my grandfather.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth

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