- present participle of compel.
compelling
Americanadjective
-
tending to compel, as to force or push toward a course of action; overpowering.
There were compelling reasons for their divorce.
-
having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect.
a man of compelling integrity; a compelling drama.
adjective
-
arousing or denoting strong interest, esp admiring interest
-
(of an argument, evidence, etc) convincing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of compelling
Explanation
Compelling means attractive, or irresistible, or really, really convincing. You know your argument for backpacking across Europe is compelling when your parents not only let you go but also pay for all your expenses. To compel is to drive or force into action –– the way the fear of being grounded might compel you to come home before your curfew. A compelling argument compels you to agree with its logic –– it's irresistible. If you decide to run for class president, you'll need to write a compelling speech about why students should vote for you.
Vocabulary lists containing compelling
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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.
Although the discovery offers compelling new evidence, scientists still have much to learn about Masripithecus and the early history of modern apes.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
North Korea has always denied this, but the wealth of evidence from cryptocurrency flow analysis and insider interviews from defectors is compelling.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
"If there was a reason to raise interest rates at the last meeting, I think that there's just as compelling of an economic reason to raise interest rates at this meeting."
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Documentaries can take many forms; being an arm of journalism is just one, and often it’s not very compelling.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
I turn to the last page of the paper, where a big fat A is circled in red with the line: Entirely compelling argument, Mr. Ralph!
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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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.
