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moving

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verb

present participle of move
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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
However, the idea that Richardson’s second benching in nine months can somehow be spun into a positive for his development isn’t very moving. James Boyd, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025 King told the Statesman that non-moving water bodies can act like Petri dishes in the summer heat, allowing cyanobacteria numbers to explode under the right conditions. Alex Music august 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
New rides like this one can cost $100 million, if not more, to create; incorporate LiDAR laser systems of the kind used on self-driving cars; and rely on robotic figures with thousands of moving parts. Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025 His being here—scraping, sanding, painting, sitting across the table from us for dinner most nights—had been one of the joys of the past few weeks, a way of staving off the tension of moving and the sameness of the routine with the kids and the meals and the bedtime stories and all the rest. T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for moving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moving
Adjective
  • Often, the end of a close bond is a quiet, gradual process marked by subtle clues and a sense of growing emotional distance.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
  • An emotional support alligator who has spent the past few years going to church, restaurants, and grocery stores can no longer go to Walmart after a customer complained.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Once this context is available, users can start applying appropriate actions, whether that's relocating business-critical content to faster storage, isolating legacy records or flagging redundant material for review.
    Carl D'Halluin, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The length that a client stores their items is on average three to four years, according to Hoey, noting that a majority tend to close their vault when relocating.
    Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Arsenal have been so used to Saka coming inside onto his left foot, so to have a player who is equally capable of driving down the outside and running along the byline is a new threat.
    Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Take extra caution when on the road or avoid driving if possible.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Because in a world where the terrain keeps shifting, following yesterday’s map may be the quickest way to get lost.
    Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • But plenty of household media names have been humbled by the shifting habits of digital consumers.
    Stefan Fatsis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And what Townshend and Daltrey chose to deal to send us out with as our last live memories of the Who was tellingly affecting.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Berlin's Brandenburg Airport also reported longer waiting times due to the issue, while Heathrow Airport warned on Saturday of delays following a cyberattack affecting an electronic check-in and baggage system.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Follow Scheffler for destination stories, travel trends and thought-provoking conversations from the world of travel.
    Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • With online newsfeeds, that meant algorithms prioritizing posts with more anger-provoking content, or posts that drive comparisons of beauty, wealth or success.
    Jenna Glover, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For many owners, the nightly ritual of persuading a pet to leave the bed is an ongoing negotiation—one that frequently ends with the animal winning.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The network seemed to have trouble persuading actual stars to perform.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Each year, around two million people worldwide are diagnosed with colorectal cancer – and approximately 15-20% of patients have activating mutations in the PI3K pathway, primarily in the PIK3CA gene.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Leaders must intentionally nurture the kind of work environments capable of activating the opportunities and benefits from this multi-faceted workforce.
    Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Moving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moving. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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