C1adjective2K

Appealing

UK /["/əˈpiːlɪŋ/"]/US /["/əˈpiːlɪŋ/"]/

Definition

attractive or interesting

In simple words: Attractive or interesting.

Examples

  • Spending the holidays in Britain wasn't a prospect that I found particularly appealing.
  • Brightly coloured packaging made the pens especially appealing to children.
  • The large salary made their offer even more appealing to him.
  • ‘Would you really help?’ he said with an appealing look.

Usage notes

Use 'appealing' when discussing something that draws interest or attraction. It's appropriate in both spoken and written contexts, but might sound too formal in casual conversations.

Grammar pattern

appealing + to + noun

Memory hint

Sounds like 'a-peeling' — imagine peeling layers of an appealing fruit.

Collocations

  • be
  • look
  • seem
  • extremely
  • fairly
  • very
  • to

Synonyms

  • attractive
  • alluring
  • enticing
  • charming
  • lovely

Antonyms

  • unattractive
  • displeasing
  • repellent

Common mistakes

  • Confused with 'appalling' which means shocking or terrible.
  • Using it in contexts where it doesn't refer to attractiveness, like performance metrics.
  • Misplacing it as a verb; it's an adjective.