compelling
Americanadjective
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tending to compel, as to force or push toward a course of action; overpowering.
There were compelling reasons for their divorce.
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having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect.
a man of compelling integrity; a compelling drama.
adjective
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arousing or denoting strong interest, esp admiring interest
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(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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Word Generation Social Studies - Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome
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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.
Power-generation equipment is another compelling investment area, according to Byrd.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
She had a compelling biography, as someone raised by a single mother who rose to graduate from Harvard Law School.
From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026
Particularly compelling is the partnership that arose between Cockenoe, an indigenous man from Long Island, and John Eliot, a Puritan minister who emigrated to Boston in 1631.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The central possibility remains compelling: some changes associated with aging may be influenced by signals originating in a small part of the brain.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Some of the voices were so plaintive and compelling I couldn’t get them out of my head.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
