appeal
appeal — noun
1. the feature in a person, product, place, or idea that draws people in and makes
the feature in a person, product, place, or idea that draws people in and makes them like it, want it, or find it interesting.
Night markets have a special appeal for tourists who want cheap, tasty street food.
have appeal for + group
The brand lost much of its appeal after the factory scandal made the news.
lose appeal
Part of the novel's appeal lies in its quiet, ordinary characters and slow pace.
Reggae music holds a wide appeal across generations and continents.
For Mei-ling, the city's main appeal was its quiet riverside cycling paths.
- attraction
very close in meaning; slightly more concrete
- charm
warmer and more personal; usually for people or places
- allure
more literary; suggests something fascinating or hard to resist
- repulsion
strong opposite; rare in everyday speech
文法句型
the appeal of + noun
have (a wide / mass / lasting) appeal
X's appeal lies in + noun
用法筆記
Always uncountable in this sense ('a wide appeal' is fine because the article goes with the modifier, not with 'appeal'). The collocations 'mass appeal', 'wide appeal', 'lasting appeal', and 'sex appeal' are very common and worth memorising as units.
常見錯誤
2. an urgent public message, usually from a charity, the police, or a news outlet,
an urgent public message, usually from a charity, the police, or a news outlet, asking ordinary people to give money, share information, or offer help.
The Red Cross launched an appeal for warm blankets after the earthquake hit Taitung.
launch an appeal for + noun
Police made a televised appeal to anyone who saw the missing girl near Banqiao Station.
appeal + to + group of people
Donations poured in within hours of the charity's online appeal for flood victims.
The mayor issued an emotional appeal to residents to save water during the drought.
Volunteers answered the radio appeal and drove medicine to the mountain villages.
文法句型
an appeal for + noun
an appeal to someone (to do something)
launch/make an appeal
用法筆記
Subject of the appeal is typically an institution (charity, police, broadcaster), and the audience is the general public. Distinguish from sense 3: this one asks for resources or tips, not for a decision to be reversed.
常見錯誤
3. a formal request asking a higher court, or a person in power, to look again at a
a formal request asking a higher court, or a person in power, to look again at an earlier ruling, with the aim of having it changed or cancelled.
Mr. Lin filed an appeal against the three-year prison sentence the next morning.
file an appeal against + decision
The Supreme Court rejected her appeal and upheld the original ruling.
reject / uphold an appeal
On appeal, judges threw out Mr. Davies's conviction after defence lawyers showed police had hidden a witness statement.
The school board considered her appeal and agreed to readmit the student.
His lawyers had only fourteen days to lodge an appeal with the high court.
文法句型
lodge/file an appeal
appeal against (a verdict / sentence)
win/lose an appeal
on appeal
用法筆記
Used for both criminal and civil cases, and also extends to non-court bodies such as schools, immigration tribunals, or sports federations. The pattern 'appeal against X' (the verdict, the fine, the decision) is far more common than 'appeal for X' in this sense.
常見錯誤
4. during a match, a request by a player or team that the umpire or referee review
during a match, a request by a player or team that the umpire or referee review a play and either rule on it or change a call already made.
The Brazilian striker's loud appeal for a penalty was waved away by the referee.
appeal for + decision (football penalty)
Tennessee won the appeal after video review showed the receiver's foot was inbounds.
win an appeal (American football review)
Captain Sharma raised an appeal, asking the third umpire to check the catch.
Each team is allowed two unsuccessful appeals per set before they lose the privilege.
文法句型
make/lose/win an appeal
appeal to the umpire/referee
用法筆記
Most often heard in cricket (the famous shouted appeal to the umpire) and in any sport with a video-review or challenge system. Distinguish from sense 3: this is settled in seconds during a live match, not weeks later in a courtroom.
appeal — verb
1. if a thing or activity appeals to you, you find it interesting, attractive, or e
if a thing or activity appeals to you, you find it interesting, attractive, or enjoyable enough to want it or take part in it.
Quiet beach holidays appeal to my parents far more than busy tourist cities.
X appeals to + person
The idea of working from home appeals to many young engineers in Hsinchu.
the idea of + verb-ing + appeals to
Spicy food has never appealed to Grandma, even after fifty years in Sichuan.
This new phone is designed to appeal to teenagers who care about camera quality.
Does the offer of free dessert appeal to you, or shall we just get the bill?
文法句型
appeal to + person/group
X (does not) appeal to me
用法筆記
Not used in continuous tenses: ❌ 'is appealing to me' ✅ 'appeals to me'. The subject is the thing being liked, not the person doing the liking — opposite of 'like'.
常見錯誤
2. to make a serious, often emotional public request to a particular group for mone
to make a serious, often emotional public request to a particular group for money, news, or help with something important.
The mother appealed to viewers for any information about her missing son.
appeal to + group + for + noun
Doctors are appealing for blood donors after the bus crash on Highway 5.
appeal for + noun (cause)
The president appealed to citizens to stay calm during the typhoon warning.
Aid workers appealed to wealthy nations to send tents and clean water.
Local farmers appealed for government help after the long dry spell ruined their crops.
文法句型
appeal to someone for something
appeal to someone to do something
appeal for + noun
用法筆記
Always intransitive in this sense: you don't 'appeal something' — you 'appeal TO somebody FOR something'. The tone is urgent, often desperate; for everyday requests use 'ask' instead.
常見錯誤
3. to ask a higher court to look at the result of a trial again, hoping the origina
to ask a higher court to look at the result of a trial again, hoping the original verdict or punishment will be cancelled or made lighter.
Defence lawyers immediately said they would appeal against the guilty verdict.
appeal against + verdict (British)
The company appealed the fifty-million-dollar fine to the federal court.
appeal + object (American transitive use)
Mr. Chen plans to appeal to the High Court if the lower court rules against him.
After two years in prison, Citlali Reid finally appealed his fraud sentence and walked free last March.
The murder conviction was appealed twice before the family finally accepted the result.
- accept
to take the verdict without challenging it
文法句型
appeal against (the verdict / sentence / fine)
appeal to a higher court
appeal a decision (American English)
用法筆記
British English strongly prefers the intransitive pattern with 'against' ('appeal against the sentence'). American English commonly uses the transitive pattern ('appeal the sentence'). Either is fine, but be consistent within a single text.
常見錯誤
4. to formally ask a school, workplace, government office, or other authority to ta
to formally ask a school, workplace, government office, or other authority to take back or change a decision they have made.
Students can appeal to the dean if they believe their final grade was unfair.
appeal to + non-court authority
The family appealed against the immigration office's decision to deny them visas.
appeal against + administrative decision
Wei-ting is appealing to the housing committee about the rent increase next week.
Players who feel a yellow card was unfair may appeal to the disciplinary panel within 48 hours.
If your insurance claim is rejected, you can appeal in writing within thirty days.
文法句型
appeal to (the committee / the manager / the board)
appeal against (the decision / the ruling)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3: that one is specifically about courts and verdicts; this one covers administrative decisions made by schools, employers, agencies, or sports bodies. Frequently followed by 'to' (the body) and 'against' (the decision).