What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Compel vs Compelling - What's the difference?

compel | compelling | Derived terms |

Compelling is a related term of compel.

Compelling is a derived term of compel.



As verbs the difference between compel and compelling

is that compel is to drive together, round up while compelling is present participle of lang=en.

As an adjective compelling is

requiring urgent attention.

compel

English

Verb

  • (transitive, archaic, literally) To drive together, round up (rfex)
  • To overpower; to subdue.
  • * 1917 , , King Coal , ch. 16,
    • She had one of those perfect faces, which irresistibly compel the soul of a man.
  • To force, constrain or coerce.
    • Logic compels''' the wise, while fools feel '''compelled by emotions.
  • * 1600 , , Julius Caesar , act 5, sc. 1,
    • Against my will, / As Pompey was, am I compell’d to set / Upon one battle all our liberties.
  • * Hallam
    • Wolsey compelled the people to pay up the whole subsidy at once.
  • To exact, extort, (make) produce by force.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Commissions, which compel from each / The sixth part of his substance.
  • * 1912 , , Sky Island , ch. 14,
    • The Queen has nothing but the power to execute the laws, to adjust grievances and to compel order.
  • (obsolete) To force to yield; to overpower; to subjugate.
  • * Dryden
    • Easy sleep their weary limbs compelled .
  • * Tennyson
    • I compel all creatures to my will.
  • (obsolete) To gather or unite in a crowd or company.
  • * Dryden
    • in one troop compelled
  • (obsolete) To call forth; to summon.
  • * Spenser
    • She had this knight from far compelled .
    (Chapman)

    Derived terms

    * compellable * compeller * compelling * compellation * compel testimony

    References

    * * * Random House Webster’s Unabridged Electronic Dictionary , 1987-1996. English control verbs English transitive verbs

    compelling

    English

    Verb

    (head)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Requiring urgent attention.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author=(Oliver Burkeman)
    • , volume=189, issue=2, page=27, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= The tao of tech , passage=The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about "creating compelling content", or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing", "share the things you love with the world" and so on.}}
  • Forceful.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 29, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal , passage=Terry's goal looked to have put Chelsea in control on the stroke of half-time but Arsenal's response presented a compelling case for Wenger's insistence that reports of his side's demise have been greatly exaggerated.}}

    Related terms

    * compel * compellingly