appealing

adjective

ap·​peal·​ing ə-ˈpē-liŋ How to pronounce appealing (audio)
Synonyms of appealingnext
1
: having appeal : pleasing
an appealing design
2
: marked by earnest entreaty : imploring
the appealing look of an injured dog
appealingly adverb

Examples of appealing in a Sentence

a book with an appealing title the idea of living on Mars is appealing to space enthusiasts
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Being tied down by a reality TV show — a genre that was still looked down upon by most in the industry at that time — was not necessarily seen as super appealing in the year 2005. Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Feb. 2026 There isn’t much mystery about why Trump found Warsh so appealing. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026 Perhaps a prospect who’s a little closer to being NHL-ready could be more appealing. Scott Powers, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026 The Raptors likely would try to get the Bucks to accept some combination of RJ Barrett and others, though a Barrett-centric package would be more difficult from a cap standpoint and would seemingly be less appealing to Milwaukee. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for appealing

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of appeal entry 2

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of appealing was in 1749

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appealing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appealing. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.

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