Synonyms of compulsive

compulsive

adjective

kəm-ˈpəl-siv 

as in obsessive

caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge

his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obsessive
• impulsive
• obsessional
• driven
• spontaneous
• automatic
• instinctive
• uncontrollable
• besetting
• irrepressible
• reflex
• mechanical
• unconscious
• unpredictable
• unthinking
• involuntary
• conditioned
• knee-jerk
• whimsical
• capricious
• unwitting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• voluntary
• wilful
• willful
• manageable
• controllable
• unforced
• resistible

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of compulsive

The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates that 2.5 million people per year struggle with compulsive gambling; there were nearly 15,000 bets per second placed online in the last Super Bowl. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Dec. 2024

He is diagnosed with anorexia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and goes to a treatment facility to get help. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 9 Oct. 2024

Abraham stood aside, unable to feel, and the music wound itself into a compulsive free-jazz-like cacophony. —Jennifer Homans, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

The industry profits largely from compulsive bettors, with a small percentage of gamblers accounting for the majority of bets placed; and these new betting options are left entirely unregulated, despite many consumers lacking the financial education to appreciate the odds. —Brian Curcio, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024