Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb compel

2 senses of compel

Sense 1
compel, oblige, obligate -- (force somebody to do something; "We compel all students to fill out this form")
       => induce, stimulate, cause, have, get, make -- (cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; "The ads induced me to buy a VCR"; "My children finally got me to buy a computer"; "My wife made me buy a new sofa")

Sense 2
compel -- (necessitate or exact; "the water shortage compels conservation")
       => necessitate, ask, postulate, need, require, take, involve, call for, demand -- (require as useful, just, or proper; "It takes nerve to do what she did"; "success usually requires hard work"; "This job asks a lot of patience and skill"; "This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice"; "This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert"; "This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent")

Antonyms of adj compelling

2 senses of compelling

Sense 1
compelling -- (driving or forcing; "compelling ambition")

INDIRECT (VIA powerful) -> powerless -- (lacking power)

Sense 2
compelling -- (tending to persuade by forcefulness of argument; "new and compelling evidence")

INDIRECT (VIA persuasive) -> dissuasive -- (deterring from action; "dissuasive advice"; "made a slight dissuasive gesture with her hand")

Similarity of adj compelling

2 senses of compelling

Sense 1
compelling -- (driving or forcing; "compelling ambition")
       => powerful (vs. powerless) -- (having great power or force or potency or effect; "the most powerful government in western Europe"; "his powerful arms"; "a powerful bomb"; "the horse's powerful kick"; "powerful drugs"; "a powerful argument")

Sense 2
compelling -- (tending to persuade by forcefulness of argument; "new and compelling evidence")
       => persuasive (vs. dissuasive) -- (intended or having the power to induce action or belief; "persuasive eloquence"; "a most persuasive speaker"; "a persuasive argument")