compelling means very interesting; able to capture and hold one's attention. It carries an Arena rating of 1550, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, compelling ranks #2,614 of 42,762 for Qualifying, #10,888 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #11,812 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #14,188 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
compelling is pronounced /kəmˈpɛlɪŋ/.
Why “compelling” is a great word
Evoking strong interest, attention, or admiration through an irresistible or forceful quality. From the verb compel (from Latin compellere, 'to drive together, force') + the present participle suffix -ing; first recorded as an adjective c. 1600 in the sense 'that compels,' with the meaning 'demanding attention' attested from 1901. Unlike 'persuasive,' which wins agreement through appeal, or merely 'interesting,' which holds attention, compelling implies an inherent power that commands belief. It is the arresting photograph you cannot scroll past, the unresolved melody that pulls the ear, the documented truth that rearranges a worldview—a force that gathers the scattered pieces of focus and drives them, inexorably, toward a single point, finally indistinguishable from the self's own most urgent necessities.
Etymology
By surface analysis, compel + -ing.
adj
- very interesting; able to capture and hold one's attentione.g.“The novel was so compelling that I couldn't put it down.”
- capable of causing someone to believe or agreee.g.“He made a compelling argument.”
- strong and forceful; that causes one to feel like they must do somethinge.g.“I would need a very compelling reason to leave my job.”
noun
- An act of compulsion; an obliging somebody to do something.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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