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

Synonyms of compelling

• convincing
• conclusive
• strong

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

There are fewer bells and whistles around this deeper work now, but life’s discoveries and mysteries are even more compelling to me. —Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026

This mystery thriller anthology series follows different compelling stories over two seasons. —Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026

And yet, life’s discoveries and mysteries are even more compelling to me now. —Chris Willman, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026

This mystery thriller anthology series tells different compelling stories across its two-season run, each one structured around timelines that slowly reveal what really happened. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of compel

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for compelling

• bookselling
• dispelling
• excelling
• expelling
• foretelling
• impelling
• indwelling
• labelling
• marvelling
• misspelling
• modelling
• panelling

Legal Definition

compelling

adjective

: that compels : tending to demand action or to convince

a compelling need for disclosure

a compelling argument