com|pel´ler

com|pel´ler
com|pel «kuhm PEHL», transitive verb, -pelled, -pel|ling.
1. to drive or urge with force; force: »

Rain compelled us to stop our ball game. Circumstances compel us to economize.

2. to bring about by force; command: »

A policeman can compel obedience to the law.

3. to drive or gather together by force.
4. Obsolete. to take or get by force.
╂[< Latin compellere to force; collect < com- together + pellere drive]
–com|pel´la|ble, adjective.
–com|pel´ler, noun.
Synonym Study 1 Compel, impel mean to force. Compel means force a person to do something one wants or to give in to something: »

It is impossible to compel a person to love his fellow men.

Impel means force to move forward, but is most often used figuratively to mean drive forward by strong desire or motive or emotion: »

His hunger impelled him to beg.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • com|pel´la|ble — com|pel «kuhm PEHL», transitive verb, pelled, pel|ling. 1. to drive or urge with force; force: »Rain compelled us to stop our ball game. Circumstances compel us to economize. 2. to bring about by force; command: »A policeman can compel obedience… …   Useful english dictionary

  • com|pel — «kuhm PEHL», transitive verb, pelled, pel|ling. 1. to drive or urge with force; force: »Rain compelled us to stop our ball game. Circumstances compel us to economize. 2. to bring about by force; command: »A policeman can compel obedience to the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • compel — com•pel [[t]kəmˈpɛl[/t]] v. t. pelled, pel•ling 1) to force or drive, esp. to a course of action: His unruliness compels us to dismiss him[/ex] 2) to secure or bring about by force or power: to compel obedience[/ex] 3) archaic to drive together;… …   From formal English to slang

  • Cloud-compeller — Cloud com*pel ler, n. Cloud gatherer; an epithet applied to Zeus. [Poetic.] Pope. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Compeller — Com*pel ler, n. One who compels or constrains. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tion — ab·bre·vi·a·tion; ab·di·ca·tion; ab·duc·tion; ab·er·ra·tion; ab·er·ra·tion·al; ab·jec·tion; ab·junc·tion; ab·ju·ra·tion; ab·lac·ta·tion; ab·la·tion; ab·lu·tion; ab·mi·gra·tion; ab·ne·ga·tion; ab·o·li·tion; ab·o·li·tion·ary; ab·o·li·tion·dom;… …   English syllables

  • Re — Re; re·able; re·absorb; re·absorption; re·accept; re·access; re·accession; re·acclimatization; re·acclimatize; re·accommodate; re·accommodation; re·accounting; re·accredit; re·accreditation; re·acetylation; re·acknowledge; re·acquaint;… …   English syllables

  • la — ab·cha·la·zal; ab·la·tion; ab·la·ti·val; ac·an·thel·la; acan·tho·ceph·a·la; ac·cep·ti·la·tion; ac·cu·mu·la·ble; ac·cu·mu·la·tion; ac·cu·mu·la·tive; ac·cu·mu·la·tor; aceph·a·la; ac·er·o·la; acet·y·la·tion; acet·y·la·tor; ach·a·la·sia;… …   English syllables

  • cu — acal·cu·lia; ac·cu·mu·la·ble; ac·cu·mu·la·tion; ac·cu·mu·la·tive; ac·cu·mu·la·tor; ac·cu·ra·cy; ac·cu·rate; ac·cu·rate·ly; ac·cu·rate·ness; ac·cu·sa·tion; ac·cu·sa·ti·val; ac·cu·sa·trix; ad·os·cu·la·tion; aes·cu·la·ce·ae; aes·cu·la·pi·an;… …   English syllables

  • o — abi·o·log·i·cal; ab·o·li·tion; ab·o·li·tion·ary; ab·o·li·tion·dom; ab·o·li·tion·ism; ab·o·li·tion·ist; ab·o·li·tion·ize; ab·o·ma·sal; ab·o·ma·sum; ac·an·thol·o·gy; ac·an·thop·o·dous; acar·i·dol·o·gist; ac·a·ri·nol·o·gy; acar·i·o·sis;… …   English syllables

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