persuader

[ per-swey-der ]

noun

1. a person or thing that persuades:

   The cool lake was a most enticing persuader for those who liked to swim.

2. Slang.
   1. (in underworld use) a gun, blackjack, or other weapon.
   2. something that persuades, as by coercing or threatening:

      Sometimes the teacher used a hickory persuader to get our attention.

Word History and Origins

Origin of persuader¹

First recorded in 1530–40; persuade + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Trump fanboys like "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams may call him a "Master Persuader," but in reality, a majority of Americans have always disliked Trump and his overall popularity has declined over time.

From Salon

By the 1980s, he’d built his reputation as a live artist in Europe and the United States, eventually finding crossover success with “Strong Persuader,” his 1986 major label debut that yielded the hit single “Smoking Gun.”

From Seattle Times

I have seen speculation that she did this because she is a master persuader.

From The Verge

"I think he had fallen out of love with it and the war gave him a… I think it would have been rather difficult with his country and England at war, driving for an English team, so I can understand him while the war was going on not driving. But I think also having a spaniel snapping at his heels was a second persuader or something."

From BBC

Various lobbying efforts against the PRO Act's persuader rule portion have emerged from predictable sources, as the Daily Poster has reported.

From Salon

Related Words

• cannon
• handgun
• hardware
• mortar
• piece
• pistol
• revolver
• rifle
• shotgun