moving 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmü-viŋ How to pronounce moving (audio)
Definition of movingnext
as in emotional
having the power to affect the feelings or sympathies he gave a truly moving graduation speech that had some graduates in tears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

moving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of move
1
as in relocating
to change the place or position of I need you to move all your books off that chair before company gets here

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in driving
to set or keep in motion the hands of the wall clock are moved by battery

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shifting
to change one's position don't move while I'm trying to draw your portrait

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in affecting
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response we were deeply moved by the program of patriotic music

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action the heartfelt appeal moved the people to reach into their pockets and donate generously

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in persuading
to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest requests the report moved me to change my mind about the issue

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in activating
to cause to function this one button moves the whole machine

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8
as in exiting
to leave a place often for another the police officer told the loiterers to move along

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word moving distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of moving are affecting, impressive, pathetic, poignant, and touching. While all these words mean "having the power to produce deep emotion," moving may apply to any strong emotional effect including thrilling, agitating, saddening, or calling forth pity or sympathy.

a moving appeal for contributions

How do affecting and moving relate to one another?

Affecting is close to moving but most often suggests pathos.

an affecting deathbed reunion

In what contexts can impressive take the place of moving?

While in some cases nearly identical to moving, impressive implies compelling attention, admiration, wonder, or conviction.

an impressive list of achievements

When can pathetic be used instead of moving?

The meanings of pathetic and moving largely overlap; however, pathetic implies moving to pity or sometimes contempt.

pathetic attempts to justify misconduct

When could poignant be used to replace moving?

The words poignant and moving are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, poignant applies to what keenly or sharply affects one's sensitivities.

a poignant documentary on the homeless

When would touching be a good substitute for moving?

In some situations, the words touching and moving are roughly equivalent. However, touching implies arousing tenderness or compassion.

the touching innocence in a child's eyes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of moving
Adjective
But in May, the Los Angeles City Council passed a measure urging the Police Commission, the LAPD’s policy-making body, to further limit arbitrary pull-overs for non-moving traffic violations. — Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Thomas Edison received a patent for his Kinetograph moving-picture camera. — USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
Hickel also found himself back behind the camera, moving a puppet frame by frame. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 California’s textile recovery law is moving from statutory deadlines to implementation details—and American Circular Textiles, or AMCIRC, is keeping tabs. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for moving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moving
  1. emotional
  2. relocating
  3. driving
  4. shifting
  5. affecting
  6. provoking
  7. persuading
  8. activating
Adjective
  • The history between these men is more noxious than your garden-variety case of paternal neglect — there’s been emotional and physical abuse.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • That’s not because Crystal soft-pedals the emotional horror of returning to your home to find charred remains after watching, helpless, as flames took the locus of all your best memories.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of emotional
Verb
  • The newspaper operated out of a complex of commercial buildings at the corner of East 18th Street and Woodland Avenue, right in the heart of the historic 18th & Vine District, before relocating in 2021.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The canal authority has said that relocating the remains will be coordinated in advance with family members, with respect for religious beliefs, cultural sensitivities and emotional ties.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of relocating
Verb
  • That's primarily the point, said Idaho House Majority Leader Jason Monks, a Republican who sponsored the measure as a means of driving up voter turnout during the midterm elections.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Technique works well in testing This strategy optimizes both the transport and perovskite layers together, driving efficiency and durability to record levels.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • The two built the models that modern central banks use to stabilize the economy, shifting macro policymakers’ focus from big economic variables like inflation and unemployment to the actual decisions of individuals.
    — Dario Marino, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The attorney characterized the company's earlier responses as providing limited information while shifting blame and responsibility to others.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of shifting
Verb
  • Sanders, who spoke alongside el Sayed in Grand Rapids, said Trump’s attacks on the Democratic candidate were rooted in Islamophobia because Republicans have little to say about the issues affecting working families.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Executives with the authority to make decisions affecting cybersecurity must carry appropriate accountability for those decisions.
    — JC Gaillard, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of affecting
Verb
  • In 2012 American entrepreneur Russ George spread roughly 100 tons of iron in the North Pacific, provoking international criticism that a commercial venture had begun geoengineering without adequate oversight.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The same principle applies to debates about religion, economics and virtually any subject capable of provoking strong emotions.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • The piece suggests the ad was aimed less at persuading undecided voters than at energizing the Republican base.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The trick involves persuading electrons to abandon their individuality and form quantum partnerships known as Cooper pairs.
    — Sven Badoux, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of persuading
Verb
  • Those cases often centered on devices mistakenly activating or capturing speech that was not intended as a command.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Annie Palmer, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Semaglutide mimics its activity by activating GLP-1 receptors in the body.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of activating

Phrases Containing moving

Browse Nearby Words

movies
moving
moving picture
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Cite this Entry

“Moving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moving. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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