moving 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmü-viŋ How to pronounce moving (audio)
Definition of movingnext
as in emotional
having the power to affect the feelings or sympathies he gave a truly moving graduation speech that had some graduates in tears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

moving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of move
1
as in relocating
to change the place or position of I need you to move all your books off that chair before company gets here

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in driving
to set or keep in motion the hands of the wall clock are moved by battery

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shifting
to change one's position don't move while I'm trying to draw your portrait

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in affecting
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response we were deeply moved by the program of patriotic music

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action the heartfelt appeal moved the people to reach into their pockets and donate generously

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in persuading
to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest requests the report moved me to change my mind about the issue

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in activating
to cause to function this one button moves the whole machine

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8
as in exiting
to leave a place often for another the police officer told the loiterers to move along

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word moving distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of moving are affecting, impressive, pathetic, poignant, and touching. While all these words mean "having the power to produce deep emotion," moving may apply to any strong emotional effect including thrilling, agitating, saddening, or calling forth pity or sympathy.

a moving appeal for contributions

How do affecting and moving relate to one another?

Affecting is close to moving but most often suggests pathos.

an affecting deathbed reunion

In what contexts can impressive take the place of moving?

While in some cases nearly identical to moving, impressive implies compelling attention, admiration, wonder, or conviction.

an impressive list of achievements

When can pathetic be used instead of moving?

The meanings of pathetic and moving largely overlap; however, pathetic implies moving to pity or sometimes contempt.

pathetic attempts to justify misconduct

When could poignant be used to replace moving?

The words poignant and moving are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, poignant applies to what keenly or sharply affects one's sensitivities.

a poignant documentary on the homeless

When would touching be a good substitute for moving?

In some situations, the words touching and moving are roughly equivalent. However, touching implies arousing tenderness or compassion.

the touching innocence in a child's eyes

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of moving
Adjective
Perhaps the most moving moment of Don’t Look Back in Anger arrives early with the first of the reunion concerts in Cardiff, Wales. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026 Most moving, above all, are the correspondences with the writers themselves who reach out at their own expense—quite literally. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
Filmmaker and activist Omer Shamir paints a moving documentary portrait of this family, in their exile home, across one year. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026 The Sun enters your 6th House, beginning a month focused on routines, responsibilities, health, work, and the systems that keep everything moving. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for moving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moving
  1. emotional
  2. relocating
  3. driving
  4. shifting
  5. affecting
  6. provoking
  7. persuading
  8. activating
Adjective
  • Simultaneously, Fumiko and Emi cross paths at the library, where the revelation that the family at least tangentially responsible for her son’s death now have an adorable little sprog of their own, threatens to send Emi into an emotional tailspin.
    — James Marsh, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The film also conjures the same terrifying fears as the book with its haunting musical score, set design, camera angles, and the emotional performances of Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of emotional
Verb
  • Vice Mayor Kris Cruzada also suggested relocating the historical marker to a more prominent location on the property and perhaps adding benches near it to provide a place for people to sit and enjoy it.
    — Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Recent openings include relocating its Milan flagship from the tourist-heavy Via Montenapoleone to the more local Via Gesù, as well as a 91-square-meter boutique in Shenzhen, China.
    — Ashley Ogawa Clarke, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of relocating
Verb
  • The analyst noted that industry checks and data indicate that infrastructure software demand is strengthening, with AI increasingly driving usage and growth.
    — TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
  • According to court records, Rogers was driving the vehicle and Arrington was a passenger.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • That water releases enormous amounts of heat into the atmosphere, shifting weather patterns around the world.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Few games ultimately ended up shifting, however, after clubs were reminded that the whole point of the effort was to increase labor output.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of shifting
Verb
  • Grocery stores in several European countries are dealing with incidents affecting refrigerator and freezer systems that appear to be the results of cyberattacks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In Miami-Dade County, 13 polling places have temporarily moved, affecting 19 precincts.
    — Anna McAllister, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of affecting
Verb
  • The best of these films are simultaneously suspenseful, thought-provoking and dazzling.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In 2012 American entrepreneur Russ George spread roughly 100 tons of iron in the North Pacific, provoking international criticism that a commercial venture had begun geoengineering without adequate oversight.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • And Michael was obviously the most on my case, and there was no persuading him otherwise.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Oct. 2026
  • But the virus's spread exposes declining vaccination rates, eroding trust in health institutions and growing challenges in persuading people to protect themselves, their children and their communities, experts said.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of persuading
Verb
  • Those cases often centered on devices mistakenly activating or capturing speech that was not intended as a command.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Annie Palmer, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Semaglutide mimics its activity by activating GLP-1 receptors in the body.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of activating

Phrases Containing moving

Browse Nearby Words

movies
moving
moving picture
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Cite this Entry

“Moving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moving. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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