compelling
adjective
com·pel·ling
kəm-ˈpe-liŋ 
: that compels: such as
a
: forceful
a compelling personality
a compelling desire
b
: demanding attention
for compelling reasons
The novel was so compelling that I couldn't put it down.
c
: convincing
no compelling evidence
compellingly
adverb
Examples of compelling in a Sentence
The novel was so compelling that I couldn't put it down.
He made a compelling argument.
I would need a very compelling reason to leave my job.
She had a compelling need to share what she had heard.
Recent Examples on the Web
Loose ends and compelling payoffs await after a subdued and slow-ish first frame that struggles with a balance between dark brooding and uneven lull.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
For someone with a clear runway of working years ahead, the Roth’s tax-free growth and withdrawal structure often presents a compelling case.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
What began as a home renovation in Columbia, South Carolina, has become a compelling forensic and archaeological puzzle.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
That knowledge was immediately compelling to local fishermen in coastal Cambodia, Khiev says.
—Ryan Kellman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compelling
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David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
For someone with a clear runway of working years ahead, the Roth’s tax-free growth and withdrawal structure often presents a compelling case.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
What began as a home renovation in Columbia, South Carolina, has become a compelling forensic and archaeological puzzle.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
That knowledge was immediately compelling to local fishermen in coastal Cambodia, Khiev says.
—Ryan Kellman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compelling
Cite this Entry
“Compelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compelling. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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