persuade

[per-sweyd]

verb (used with object)

persuaded, persuading 

1. to prevail on (a person) to do something, as by advising or urging.

   We could not persuade him to wait.

   Synonyms: impel, entice, move, influence, urge
   Antonyms: dissuade

2. to induce to believe by appealing to reason or understanding; convince.

   to persuade the judge of the prisoner's innocence.

persuade

/ pəˈsweɪd /

verb

1. to induce, urge, or prevail upon successfully

   he finally persuaded them to buy it

2. to cause to believe; convince

   even with the evidence, the police were not persuaded

Usage

See convince.

Other Word Forms

• persuadable adjective
• persuadability noun
• persuadableness noun
• persuadably adverb
• persuadingly adverb
• nonpersuadable adjective
• prepersuade verb (used with object)
• unpersuadable adjective
• unpersuadably adverb
• unpersuaded adjective
• well-persuaded adjective
• persuader noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of persuade¹

From the Latin word persuādēre, dating back to 1505–15. See per-, dissuade, suasion

Word History and Origins

Origin of persuade¹

C16: from Latin persuādēre, from per- (intensive) + suādēre to urge, advise

Synonym Study

Persuade, induce imply influencing someone's thoughts or actions. They are used today mainly in the sense of winning over a person to a certain course of action: It was I who persuaded him to call a doctor. I induced him to do it. They differ in that persuade suggests appealing more to the reason and understanding: I persuaded him to go back to his wife (although it is often lightly used: Can't I persuade you to stay to supper? ); induce emphasizes only the idea of successful influence, whether achieved by argument or by promise of reward: What can I say that will induce you to stay at your job? Owing to this idea of compensation, induce may be used in reference to the influence of factors as well as of persons: The prospect of a raise in salary was what induced him to stay.

Example Sentences

Lady Constance was easily persuaded as a rule, but the soothing sound of Old Timothy’s voice could make even the most high-strung horse step calmly into a rushing stream.

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At last the overexcited children were persuaded to sleep.

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Then it will be Lavinia’s turn to be mad as a hornet—unless she discovers your clever scheme and, gentle as a lamb and sweet as a kitten, somehow persuades you to share.

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She looked forward to a bit of poetry read aloud, some quiet work on the children’s journals, and possibly a nap, if the Incorrigibles could be persuaded.

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She also persuaded the American president Zachary Taylor to send out two ships with rescuers including Elisha Kent Kane, destined to become one of the world’s most famous Arctic adventurers.

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Related Words

• advise 
• assure 
• cajole 
• coax 
• enlist 
• entice 
• exhort 
• get 
• impress 
• incline 
• induce 
• influence 
• prompt 
• satisfy 
• sway 
• urge 
• woo