Make Your Point > Archived Issues > COMPULSIVE

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pronounce COMPULSIVE: Say it "come PUL siv." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: From 1992, remember the song Brian Wilson? It opens like this:    Drove downtown in the rain,    Nine-thirty on a Tuesday night,    Just to check out the late-night record shop.    Call it impulsive, call it compulsive,    Call it insane, oh oh.    When I'm surrounded, I just can't stop. I love how those three adjectives build to a crescendo: something impulsive happens suddenly, something compulsive happens suddenly again and again, and something insane, maybe, happens so suddenly and so often that it drives you mad. And sends you downtown in the rain, in the dark. Today we'll explore that middle word, compulsive. It's perfect for all kinds of behaviors that are more intense than impulsive, less intense than insane. It belongs to a family of words that trace back to the Latin pellere, meaning "to push, to drive, to strike, or to beat." That pellere family is a big one, including push, pulse, pulsate, impulse, appeal, dispel, impel, expel, repel, propel, and co____ ("to urge someone to do something, or even to force them to do it"). Can you recall that last one? It's the verb at the heart of compulsive. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)     definition: The verb "compel," meaning "to force," traces back to Latin bits meaning "to force together" or "to drive together."  Compelling someone to do something might be a boring, bureaucratic kind of thing; or a wonderful, exciting kind of thing; or a private, personal, habitual kind of thing. So it makes sense that "compel" gave rise to three very different adjectives. Something "compulsory" is required, mandatory, must-do. Something "compelling" is persuasive, inspiring, effective, irresistible. And something "compulsive" is caused by a strong inner urge to do certain things, often again and again. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Adjective: "She's a compulsive liar;" "The habit became compulsive." Other common forms:  The adverb is "compulsively." "I used to shop compulsively." "Compulsions" are those strong inner urges to do things. "Add to cart? Nope, I'm trying to ignore my compulsions." The other noun is "compulsiveness," for the quality of being compulsive. "I'm trying to curb my compulsiveness." how to use it: Pick the formal, common word "compulsive" when your tone is serious and you're considering people's behavior in a calm, analytical way. You might talk about compulsive habits, rituals, and behaviors, often the kind that's harmful in some way, or just a waste of time, like compulsive lying, gambling, drinking, or checking email notifications. Or, you might talk about compulsive people of some kind: compulsive liars, drinkers, gamblers, shoppers, flirts, etc. You may want to keep in mind that the word "compulsive" can sometimes suggest mental illness. It doesn't have to--but it can. The DSM-5 lists diagnostic criteria for "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder," or OCD, including "compulsions," defined as "repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly." I'm not a mental health professional, so my advice here is purely about word choice: if you need a more sensitive word than "compulsive," you can pick "urgent," "insistent," "driving," or "overwhelming." examples: "Now 36, [JJ Redick] is one of the N.B.A.'s more esteemed figures, a mentor to younger teammates and a 14-year pro whose work ethic borders on compulsive."    — Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 3 August 2020 "When we tap those apps with red icons, we don't know whether we'll discover an interesting email, an avalanche of 'likes', or nothing at all. It is the possibility of disappointment that makes it so compulsive."    — Paul Lewis, paraphrasing Tristan Harris, The Guardian, 5 October 2017 has this page helped you understand "compulsive"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "compulsive" without saying "obsessive" or "overwhelming." try it out: Imagine spending a day with someone who talks to you nonstop. Would you call this person a great conversationalist, or a compulsive talker? What's the difference? What does your choice say about your preferences for conversation and silence? If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game this month is Crossword Clues: Defining by Rhyming! Check out the given term, and try to complete the definition by supplying a missing rhyming word. For example, if I give you "bevy = _ _ _ _ herd," then you give me "bird," because a bevy is a bird herd. To peek at the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy! benediction = care _ _ _ _ _ _ review this word: 1. A near-opposite of COMPULSIVE is A. PROPULSIVE: powering you forward. B. REPULSIVE: causing you to avoid something. C. IMPULSIVE: inspiring you to do something suddenly. 2. In a novel, Isabel Allende wrote, "Amanda had resumed her compulsive _____." A. beauty B. gazing C. smoking Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. C Answer to the game question: benediction = care prayer a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.