Synonyms of compulsive

compulsive

adjective

kəm-ˈpəl-siv 

as in obsessive

caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge

his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obsessive
• impulsive
• obsessional
• driven
• spontaneous
• automatic
• instinctive
• uncontrollable
• besetting
• irrepressible
• reflex
• mechanical
• unconscious
• unpredictable
• unthinking
• involuntary
• conditioned
• knee-jerk
• whimsical
• capricious
• unwitting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• voluntary
• willful
• manageable
• controllable
• unforced
• resistible

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of compulsive

In the series, LaNasa plays Tracy, the mother of compulsive liar Sloane Caraway (Shailene Woodley). — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Jurors awarded $6 million in damages ($3 million compensatory and $3 million punitive) to a 20-year-old woman whose compulsive childhood use of Instagram and YouTube exacerbated her severe depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia. — Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026

But adding a few questions that routinely ask about supplement use, performance-enhancing drug use, and excessive or compulsive exercise could help improve identification and earlier diagnosis in pediatric and adult primary care. — Ashleigh N. Deluca, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026

Pillemer, who describes himself as a compulsive worrier, has turned that advice into a practice of his own. — Angela Haupt, Time, 18 Aug. 2026