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
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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25 Words from "Baseball and Black History"
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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.
To me, that should be the most compelling element of the Dodgers’ trade deadline strategy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“An early Roth conversion strategy could be a compelling way to move assets into tax-free growth while incurring little or no federal income tax.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Over the past decade, they've become one of the most compelling live bands around – a little bit punk, a little bit electronic, a little bit 80s, eminently watchable and endlessly impressive.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Electric vehicles haven’t been compelling to U.S. consumers and producers for an obvious reason: a relatively low domestic gasoline price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The fair had become so intensely compelling that one woman, Mrs. Lucille Rodney of Galveston, Texas, walked thirteen hundred miles along railroad tracks to reach it.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
