Basic Details
Word: Appealing
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Attractive or interesting, so that you want it or like it. It can also describe a look that silently asks for help or sympathy.
Synonyms: attractive, tempting, inviting, charming
Antonyms: unappealing, unattractive, off-putting
How to Spell Appealing
Syllables: ap - peal - ing
Tricky part: Only the p is doubled. The l stays single because two vowels, e and a, come before it, as in revealing and healing.
Watch out for: apealing, appeeling, appealling
Memory tip: Count the doubles: there is just one pair, the pp. Two vowels sit before the l, and a vowel pair never doubles the next letter, so -ing goes straight on.
Usage Examples
Example 1: A cold glass of nimbu pani is very appealing after a game in the afternoon sun.
Example 2: The idea of a whole week without homework sounded appealing to all of us.
Example 3: The puppy gave me such an appealing look that I shared my sandwich with it.
Fun Fact
Appeal, and so appealing, came into English through French from the Latin appellare, to call on or address someone.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word appealing as used in the sentence:
After the long walk home in the May heat, the thought of a cold shower was very appealing.
a) tempting
b) attractive
c) off-putting
d) inviting
Show answer
c) off-putting. Tempting, inviting and attractive all mean much the same as appealing; off-putting means the reverse.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Free entry made the science fair even more apealing to the children of our colony.
a) colony
b) apealing
c) science
d) entry
Show answer
b) apealing. Appealing keeps the double p of appeal.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence and choose the word they make:
The smell of fresh jalebis made the sweet shop look very lpaeganip to the hungry boys.
a) applauding
b) appealing
c) appalling
d) appearing
Show answer
b) appealing. Appalling also looks close, but it has no e and needs two l's, so only appealing fits the letters and the sentence.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If a job is described as appealing, it is ____.
a) dirty and dangerous
b) badly paid and boring
c) far away and lonely
d) attractive and interesting
Show answer
d) attractive and interesting
2. In which sentence does appealing mean asking for help?
a) The new park is appealing to families.
b) The menu at the cafe looked appealing.
c) The child gave her mother an appealing look.
d) His offer of a lift sounded appealing.
Show answer
c) The child gave her mother an appealing look.
