Compelling

How to spell compelling

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce compelling

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does compelling mean?

1. adjectiveSo convincing, forceful, or interesting that it commands attention or belief.

Compelling in a sentence

• The lawyer presented a compelling case backed by clear evidence.

• The documentary was so compelling that nobody left the room.

Where does compelling come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb compellere, which combined the intensive prefix com- (an emphatic use of cum, meaning 'together' or 'thoroughly') with pellere, meaning 'to drive, push, or thrust'. The literal Latin sense was therefore 'to drive forcibly' or 'to compel', and that idea of irresistible pressure survives in the modern meaning of something so persuasive it seems to drive your judgement for you. English took the base verb 'compel' from Old French compellir in the late 1300s, and the adjective 'compelling' developed from its present participle. The same pellere root drives a whole family of relatives, including 'propel', 'expel', 'repel', and 'dispel', each adding a different direction to the act of pushing. The spelling trap is the doubled l: 'compel' ends in a single l, but because the stress falls on that final syllable the consonant doubles before -ing, giving 'compelling'.

How the word is built

• com- (intensive, from cum 'together')
• pel (from pellere 'to drive, push')
• -ling (here the doubled-l of compel plus -ing, the adjective/participle suffix)