persuade

[ per-sweyd ]

verb (used with object)

, per·suad·ed, per·suad·ing.

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 Note

See convince.

Derived Forms

• perˈsuadable, adjective
• perˌsuadaˈbility, noun
• perˈsuader, noun

Other Words From

• per·suada·ble adjective
• per·suada·bili·ty per·suada·ble·ness noun
• per·suada·bly adverb
• per·suading·ly adverb
• nonper·suada·ble adjective
• preper·suade verb (used with object) prepersuaded prepersuading
• unper·suada·ble adjective
• unper·suada·bly adverb
• unper·suaded adjective
• well-per·suaded adjective

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

His involvement helped her persuade other victims to come forward and testify.

From Los Angeles Times

While the anti-4B side argues that women can persuade men to change by manipulating them with sex, the Lysistrata camp believes men can be convinced by deprivation.

From Salon

But she failed to persuade voters that she is the change the city needs to get back on track.

From Los Angeles Times

The paper also reported that Khan responded to a formal sexual misconduct complaint against him by trying to persuade the alleged victim that she should deny the claims, despite having been advised to avoid one-to-one contact.

From BBC

But even if conservative lawmakers can’t persuade voters to impose a higher threshold for passage of ballot measures, the anti-abortion movement may have identified other promising strategies.

From Slate

Related Words

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