COMPULSIVE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for COMPULSIVE?

Need another word that means the same as “compulsive”? Find 32 synonyms and 30 related words for “compulsive” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Compulsive” are: determined, driven, irresistible, uncontrollable, compelling, driving, overwhelming, overpowering, urgent, obsessive, obsessional, addictive, out of control, ungovernable, inveterate, chronic, incorrigible, incurable, irredeemable, hardened, hopeless, persistent, fascinating, gripping, riveting, engrossing, enthralling, captivating, spellbinding, mesmerizing, mesmeric, entrancing

Compulsive as an Adjective

Definitions of "Compulsive" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “compulsive” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Irresistibly interesting or exciting; compelling.
• Strongly motivated to succeed.
• Caused by or suggestive of psychological compulsion.
• Resulting from or relating to an irresistible urge.
• (of a person) acting as a result of an irresistible urge.

Synonyms of "Compulsive" as an adjective (32 Words)

addictive	(of a substance or activity) causing or likely to cause someone to become addicted. Addictive behavior.
captivating	Capturing interest as if by a spell. Roosevelt was a captivating speaker.
chronic	Of a person having a chronic illness. A chronic smoker.
compelling	Driving or forcing. Compelling ambition.
determined	Having been learned or found or determined especially by investigation. A determined effort to reduce inflation.
driven	Operated, moved, or controlled by a specified person or source of power. A chauffeur driven limousine.
driving	Having the power of driving or impelling. Driving rain.
engrossing	Absorbing all one’s attention or interest. The most engrossing parts of the book.
enthralling	Capturing and holding one’s attention; fascinating. An enthralling best seller.
entrancing	Capturing interest as if by a spell. An entrancing smile.
fascinating	Extremely interesting. A fascinating story.
gripping	Firmly holding the attention or interest; exciting. A gripping TV thriller.
hardened	Used of persons emotionally hardened. Faced a case hardened judge.
hopeless	(informal to emphasize how bad it is) beyond hope of management or reform. The situation is hopeless.
incorrigible	(of a person or their behaviour) not able to be changed or reformed. An incorrigible mess.
incurable	Unalterable in disposition or habits. An incurable optimist.
inveterate	Habitual. His inveterate hostility to what he considered to be the reactionary powers.
irredeemable	(of paper currency) for which the issuing authority does not undertake to pay coin. So many irredeemable mistakes have been made.
irresistible	Too powerful or convincing to be resisted. What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object.
mesmeric	Attracting and holding interest as if by a spell. She found herself staring into his mesmeric gaze.
mesmerizing	Capturing one’s complete attention as if by magic. The sheer force of his presence was mesmerizing.
obsessional	Characteristic of or affected by an obsession. A single minded or even obsessional leader.
obsessive	Affected by an obsession. People dogged by obsessive jealousy.
out of control	Not worth considering as a possibility.
overpowering	So strong as to be irresistible. An overpowering need for solitude.
overwhelming	Very great in amount. An overwhelming majority.
persistent	Stubbornly unyielding- T.S.Eliot. The persistent gills of fishes.
riveting	Completely engrossing; compelling. The book is a riveting account of the legendary freedom fighter.
spellbinding	Attracting and holding interest as if by a spell. A spellbinding description of life in ancient Rome.
uncontrollable	Of persons. Her brother had an uncontrollable temper.
ungovernable	Incapable of being controlled. An ungovernable impulse to run away.
urgent	Of an action or event done or arranged in response to an urgent situation. An urgent whisper.

Usage Examples of "Compulsive" as an adjective

• Compulsive drinking.
• A compulsive liar.
• Compulsive eating.
• This play is compulsive viewing.

Associations of "Compulsive" (30 Words)

addiction	(Roman law) a formal award by a magistrate of a thing or person to another person (as the award of a debtor to his creditor); a surrender to a master. Under Roman law addiction was the justification for slavery.
addictive	Relating to or susceptible to being or becoming addicted to something. He has an addictive personality.
alcoholic	Characteristic of or containing alcohol. His alcoholic daughter was the cause of his anxiety.
cantankerous	Having a difficult and contrary disposition. A cantankerous and venomous tongued old lady.
determined	Having been learned or found or determined especially by investigation. Date and place are already determined.
dogged	Stubbornly unyielding. Success required dogged determination.
driven	Strongly motivated to succeed. A chauffeur driven limousine.
headstrong	Energetically wilful and determined. The headstrong impulsiveness of youth.
hidebound	Stubbornly conservative and narrow-minded. They are working to change hidebound corporate cultures.
insistent	Demanding attention- H.L.Mencken. Tony s soft insistent questioning.
intoxicate	Fill with high spirits; fill with optimism. Except for NYC and LA no American city has so intoxicated and infuriated writers.
intransigent	An intransigent person. Her father had tried persuasion but she was intransigent.
kleptomania	An irresistible impulse to steal in the absence of any economic motive.
kleptomaniac	Someone with an irrational urge to steal in the absence of an economic motive.
obduracy	Resoluteness by virtue of being unyielding and inflexible.
obdurate	Showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings. I argued this point with him but he was obdurate.
obsessive	A person who has obsessions. Obsessive gambling.
obstinate	Persist stubbornly. He obstinates himself against all rational arguments.
opinionated	Obstinate in your opinions. An arrogant and opinionated man.
ornery	Having a difficult and contrary disposition- Dorothy Sayers. An ornery old military man.
paranoid	A person who is paranoid. Further accusations would sound like the ramblings of a paranoid.
pertinacious	Stubbornly unyielding. The most vocal and pertinacious of all the critics.
pigheaded	Obstinate and stupid.
purposeful	Having or showing determination or resolve. The purposeful stride of a great barrister.
pyromania	An uncontrollable desire to set fire to things.
pyromaniac	A person suffering from pyromania. A ten year old pyromaniac.
tenacious	Persisting in existence; not easily dispelled. A tenacious local legend.
theft	The act of taking something from someone unlawfully. The latest theft happened at a garage.
unrelenting	Never-ceasing. Unrelenting opponents.
unyielding	Stubbornly unyielding. The Atlantic hurled its waves at the unyielding rocks.