appealing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of appealing
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; appeal + -ing 2
Explanation
The adjective appealing describes someone who is able to attract interest or is easy to like. For example, your easy sense of humor and way of making people feel comfortable make you appealing to friends old and new. If you are appealing, people want to be around you. It might be that you are really nice, or a good listener, not to mention have good looks. Actors who are appealing tend to get a lot of parts because filmmakers know audiences will flock to see them, just as an appealing description of a dish on a menu will lead more people to order it. This something is appealing, it is — or will be — popular.
Vocabulary lists containing appealing
Call of Beauty: Synonyms for "Beautiful"
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Workshop 1, Part 2
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Freakonomics
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Both Bannon and Darcey are appealing for anyone who has been a victim of any kind of abuse to come forward.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
The second was external eating, where people eat because food looks or smells appealing rather than because they are hungry.
From Science Daily • May 7, 2026
But he noted that what makes the new device appealing is its manufacturer’s claim that it can stop pursuits quickly.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
Landry said on Monday morning that he is appealing the judge’s decision to the U.S.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
It focused her mind wonderfully, and she began to understand why Beowulf found gnawing on hard objects so appealing.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
