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persuade Definition

per·suade (pər swād′)

transitive verb -·suad′ed, -·suad′·ing

  1. to cause to do something by reasoning, urging, or inducement; prevail upon
  2. to induce to believe something; convince

Etymology: MFr persuader < L persuadere < per-, intens. + suadere, to urge: see suasion

persuade Related Forms
per·suad′·able adjective or per·sua′·sible-swā′sə bəl per·sua′·sibil′·ity noun
persuade Synonyms

persuade

v.

  1. To influence

    convince, move, induce, satisfy, inveigle, assure, cajole, incline, talk someone into something, win over, bring around, bring over, lead to believe, gain the confidence of, prevail on, prevail upon, overcome another's resistance, wear down, bring to one's senses, win an argument, make one's point, gain the confidence of, make someone see the light*, cram down one's throat*, sell*, sell a bill of goods*, sell on*, turn someone on to*; see also influence.

    Antonyms dissuade*, neglect*, dampen. *

  2. To urge

    exhort, coax, prompt; see urge 1, 2.

persuade Usage Examples

Object

  • voter: They will work in schools, markets and other places where people gather, to persuade voters to register.
  • et: If it succeeds in persuading the ET that that is the case, the position is unclear.
  • politician: They show that the Serbian politicians tried to persuade the Bosnian Serb politicians to accept the Plan.
  • jury: Most important, Hamdi won't be able to require the government to persuade a jury that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • government: What do you think you could do to persuade the Canadian government that the culls are wrong?
  • judge: Not only did he manage to get all charges dropped, he also persuaded the judge to award me costs against the bereaved families.

Subject

  • argument: In reaching this conclusion the Tribunal was persuaded by the argument put forward by the Respondents.

Modifying Another Word

  • eventually: However, she was eventually persuaded to substitute a fine.
  • gently: Jill befriended her, and gently persuaded her that the workshops might be good for her.
  • finally: She's finally persuaded to see a doctor, who tells her that she must improve her diet.
  • somehow: Then in 1994 Sally's aunt somehow persuaded the girls of the family that they should accompany her to the New Dawn conference.
  • successfully: At the first conference of the NAACP she successfully persuaded the organization to resolve to make lynching a federal crime.

Infinitive complement

  • resign: Come March, I was persuaded to resign as a director.
  • stay: But he was persuaded to stay in politics by John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace.
  • invest: In spite of this, he's persuaded to invest in the restaurant.
  • withdraw: Appeal if you feel hard done by, as lenders can often be persuaded to withdraw charges if you kick up a fuss.
  • join: This play has a man asking a lady to marry him, is refused and is persuaded to join the army by the Sergeant.
  • accept: Despite her abilities, no mainstream school could be persuaded to accept her.

Preposition: of

  • merit: Principals and teachers must be persuaded of the merits of this work.

Preposition: by

  • argument: In reaching this conclusion the Tribunal was persuaded by the argument put forward by the Respondents.
persuade Quotes

EŁ  loquence quipersuade par douceur, non par empire, en tyran, non en roi. Eloquence should persuade gently, not by force or like a tyrant or king.

—Pascal, Blaise

Let usnotforgetthat we cannevergofarther thanwe can persuade at least half the people to go.

—Gaitskell, Hugh

For I spend all my time going about trying to persuade you, young and old, to make your first and chief concern not for your bodies nor for your possessions, but for the highest welfare of your souls, proclaiming as Igo,Wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and to the state.

—Plato