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.
The Met Police is appealing for any witnesses to the incident to come forward with information.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Familiarity is appealing, and so is a built-in narrative.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Old, failed ideas have a way of appealing to young, naive people.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
Rising Treasury yields can sometimes drag on stocks by increasing the cost of borrowing for businesses and consumers and making bonds more appealing as an alternative investment.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The arts, however, can be used effectively to augment this method, motivating students and appealing to their innate artistry and humanity.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
