From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcompelling need/desire/urge (to do something)compelling need/desire/urge (to do something)a strong need, desire etc to do something, making you feel that you must do it He felt a compelling need to tell someone about his idea. → compelling
Examples from the Corpus
compelling need/desire/urge (to do something)• And it was from these experiments that Work place 2000 emerged as the response to a compelling need for change.• Most women with bulimia, particularly those with a history of anorexia, have a compelling desire to be thinner.• Such freedoms can be abridged only if the state shows it has a compelling need to do so.• Suddenly I had a compelling urge to look at Wilkerson. 