Appeal — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ə-ˈpēl/ ap·peal

Meaning & Definition of Appeal

Appeal (noun)

  1. a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court
  2. an application (as to a recognized authority) for corroboration, vindication, or decision
  3. an earnest plea, entreaty

Appeal (verb)

  1. to arouse a sympathetic response
  2. to make an earnest request
  3. to take a lower court's decision to a higher court for review

Appeal (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an earnest request

    "made an appeal to the public to donate desperately needed blood"

    similar: adjuration, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, petition, plea, pleading, prayer, solicitation, suit, suppliance, supplication
    related: application, requisition, call, claim, demand, insistence

  2. the power of irresistible attraction

    "that hot new actress has a certain indescribable appeal"

    similar: allure, animal magnetism, attractiveness, captivation, charisma, charm, duende, enchantment, fascination, force field, glamour, magic, magnetism, oomph, pizzazz, seductiveness, witchery
    related: allurement, attraction, call, lure, seduction, agreeableness, darlingness, delightfulness, desirability, desirableness, niceness, pleasantness, pleasingness, sweetness, sex appeal
    opposite: repulsion, repulsiveness
    near: disagreeableness, distastefulness, obnoxiousness, offensiveness, unpleasantness

Appeal (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in cite, book

    similar: arraign, book, cite, summon, accuse, charge, criminate, defame (archaic), impeach, incriminate, indict, blame, call (on), castigate, censure, condemn, criticize, damn, denounce, fault, impugn, reproach, reprobate, chide, rebuke, reprove, tax, prosecute, sue, try, frame, implicate, inculpate, inform (against), name, report, recriminate, retaliate
    opposite: advocate, champion, defend, excuse, forgive, justify, pardon, remit, shrive, absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate

Related Entry: Appeal (to) (verb)

Appeal (to) is a different word from Appeal. The synonyms below are for appeal (to), not for appeal.

  1. to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner

    "when supplies at the food bank ran desperately low, officials appealed to the public for some much-needed replacements"

    similar: beg, beseech, besiege, conjure, entreat, impetrate, implore, importune, petition, plead (to), pray, solicit, supplicate, call on
    related: bludge (chiefly Australian & New Zealand), cadge, mooch, sponge, ask, desire, invoke, request, claim, coerce, command, compel, demand, force, insist, require
    near: hint, imply, intimate, suggest, appease, conciliate, gratify, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, satisfy, comfort, console, content, quiet

Related Entry: Sex appeal (noun)

Sex appeal is a different word from Appeal. The synonyms below are for sex appeal, not for appeal.

  1. the quality of being sexually attractive

    "The handsome singer had no shortage of sex appeal."

    similar: desirability, desirableness, foxiness, lusciousness, nubility, pulchritude, seductiveness, sexiness, shapeliness, aesthetics, attractiveness, beauteousness, beautifulness, beauty, comeliness, cuteness, fairness, gorgeousness, handsomeness, looks, loveliness, prettiness, sightliness, allure, appeal, attraction, fascination, glamour, charm, delightfulness, elegance, exquisiteness, gloriousness, radiance, radiancy, resplendence, resplendency, splendidness, splendiferousness, sublimeness, sublimity, superbness, flawlessness, perfection, daintiness, delicacy, flamboyance, flashiness, glossiness, showiness, slickness, splashiness
    opposite: disagreeableness, dreadfulness, foulness, ghastliness, horribleness, loathsomeness, nastiness, offensiveness, repellency, repulsiveness, terribleness, vileness, blemish, flaw, imperfection, grotesqueness, hideousness, homeliness, plainness, ugliness, unattractiveness, unbecomingness, unloveliness, unsightliness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Appeal

The most common words with a similar meaning to Appeal:

Archaic: defame
adjuration, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, petition, plea, pleading, prayer, solicitation, suit, suppliance, supplication, allure, animal magnetism, attractiveness, captivation, charisma, charm, duende, enchantment, fascination, force field, glamour, magic, magnetism, oomph, pizzazz, seductiveness, witchery, arraign, book, cite, summon, accuse, charge, criminate, impeach, incriminate, indict

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Appeal

Words with the opposite meaning of Appeal:

repulsion, repulsiveness, advocate, champion, defend, excuse, forgive, justify, pardon, remit, shrive, absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate

Related Words for Appeal

application, requisition, call, claim, demand, insistence, allurement, attraction, lure, seduction, agreeableness, darlingness, delightfulness, desirability, desirableness, niceness, pleasantness, pleasingness, sweetness, sex appeal

Near Antonyms of Appeal

disagreeableness, distastefulness, obnoxiousness, offensiveness, unpleasantness

Word Forms of Appeal

Inflections: appealed, appealing, appeals

Derived words: appealability (noun), appealable (adjective), appealer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Appeal

Middle English apeel, appel, appele "accusation brought in court, challenge to trial by combat, legal application to a higher court," borrowed from Anglo-French appel, appell "call, summons, accusation of felony, legal application to a higher court," noun derivative of apeler, appeler "to call, summon, call before a court" appeal:2

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Appeal

Words & Phrases Containing Appeal

curb appeal, sex appeal, snob appeal, on appeal, under appeal, court of appeals

Frequently Asked Questions about Appeal

What does "Appeal" mean?

"Appeal" means a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Appeal"?

Other words for "Appeal" include adjuration, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, petition, plea and pleading. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Appeal" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Appeal"?

There are 88 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Appeal". Common alternatives include adjuration, conjuration, cry, desire, entreaty, petition, plea, pleading, prayer and solicitation.

What is the opposite of "Appeal"?

Antonyms of "Appeal" include repulsion, repulsiveness, advocate, champion, defend, excuse, forgive and justify. Near antonyms include disagreeableness, distastefulness, obnoxiousness and offensiveness.

How do you use "Appeal" in a sentence?

Examples of "Appeal" in a sentence: "made an appeal to the public to donate desperately needed blood"; "that hot new actress has a certain indescribable appeal".

Is "Appeal" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Appeal" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Appeal" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Appeal" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Appeal"?

"Appeal" is pronounced /ə-ˈpēl/ and divided into syllables as ap·peal.