student asking question

Is "compelling" different from just "interesting"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Compelling" and "interesting" are similar, but they have slightly different meanings. "Interesting" refers to something that causes someone to become "interested" in something and holds their attention. "Compelling" also refers to something that causes someone to become interested in something, but it holds their attention in a stronger way, causing them to be absorbed in it. In conclusion, "compelling" is a stronger word than "interesting". "Compelling" is usually used to refer to a story. Here is how you can use "compelling" and "interesting" in a sentence: Ex: I think learning about space is interesting. Ex: The book about her life is compelling.

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