Definition of 'persuade'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present
tense persuades
, present participle persuading
, past tense, past participle persuaded
1. verb
If you persuade someone to do something, you cause them to do it by giving them good reasons for doing it.
My partner persuaded me to come. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
We're trying to persuade manufacturers to sell them here. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
They were eventually persuaded by the police to give themselves up. [VERB noun to-infinitive, be VERB-ed]
2. verb
If something persuades someone to take a particular course of action, it causes them to take that course of action because it is a good reason
for doing so.
The Conservative Party's victory in April's general election persuaded him to run
for President again. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
It was the lack of privacy that eventually persuaded us to move after Ben was born. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
3. verb
If you persuade someone that something is true, you say things that eventually make them believe that it is true.
I've persuaded Mrs Tennant that it's time she retired. [VERB noun that]
We had managed to persuade them that it was worth working with us. [VERB noun that]
Derek persuaded me of the feasibility of the idea. [VERB noun + of]
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of 'persuade'
verb (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
adjective
persuadability (perˌsuadaˈbility) or persuasibility (perˌsuasiˈbility)
noun
persuader (perˈsuader)
noun
Word origin of 'persuade'
verb transitiveWord forms: perˈsuaded or perˈsuading
1.
to cause to do something by reasoning, urging, or inducement; prevail upon
2.
to induce to believe something; convince
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
persuasibility (perˌsuasiˈbility)
noun
Word origin of 'persuade'
Example sentences containing 'persuade'
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
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What would it take to persuade him to go? Times, Sunday Times (2016)But he has been persuaded to take questions on his feet and be subjected to a countdown timer. Times, Sunday Times (2016)Speedy might still take some persuading. Times, Sunday Times (2016)You will like what you see but those close to you may need persuading, so take things slowly. The Sun (2017)He was jailed yesterday at Southwark crown court along with two colleagues whom he had persuaded to take part in the fraud. Times, Sunday Times (2016)I persuaded Dad to buy me a racing helmet for my birthday. Times, Sunday Times (2016)I finally managed to persuade the Co-op that it had got it wrong and the figures were adjusted. Times, Sunday Times (2016)We excused it as deafness and persuaded him to buy an expensive hearing aid (which he then refused to wear). Times, Sunday Times (2016)Back then, the name of the game was to persuade fans to buy your work from iTunes and other digital stores. Times, Sunday Times (2017)That was what finally persuaded him to return. The Sun (2008)Offering free beer tomorrow does not persuade people to buy beer today. Times, Sunday Times (2009)The warriors have been persuaded to take wives who have not undergone the brutal cutting. Times, Sunday Times (2014)Our captain finally persuaded our spinner to bring up some fielders. Times, Sunday Times (2011)Only one thing will persuade her to take the role. Times, Sunday Times (2015)It is one that could be expanded if other nations could be persuaded to take part. Times, Sunday Times (2013)Some of his colleagues were less convinced and persuaded two of the three to try self control instead. Times, Sunday Times (2009)They could be persuaded to buy clothes and cosmetics and music and cigarettes and confectionery and junk food. Positive Parent Power (1991)Their object in public discourse is not merely to inform, but to persuade and convince. Cultural Anthropology (1995)You want potential backers to catch your enthusiasm, persuading them to buy you and your project. Going For It!: How to Succeed As an Entrepreneur (1986)Now qualified, has it been difficult to persuade others to take her seriously? Times, Sunday Times (2008)YOU might finally persuade your other half to sit down and watch that weepy romcom. The Sun (2013)I persuaded him to buy a guitar while he was down there. Times, Sunday Times (2010)He was also persuaded to buy hundreds of pounds of herbal supplements, some of which could have been dangerous. Times, Sunday Times (2013)There has been a conscious move away from organisations that design products and services first and then see if consumers can be persuaded to buy them. Times, Sunday Times (2009)You will win because you have more than enough brute force; but you will not convince because to convince means to persuade. The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution and RevengeI've been crazy about this woman and finally persuaded her to be my girlfriend. The Sun (2016)I'd had a lot to drink and was persuaded to buy a share. The Sun (2013)He speaks avidly of pain threshold, proud of his ability to dismiss and deny injuries that might persuade others to take a week off. Times, Sunday Times (2013)Perhaps that is why no amount of evidence will persuade us that the job of England manager is not all it is cracked up to be. Times, Sunday Times (2012)Equally, it's quite a struggle to persuade audiences to take the gamble. Times, Sunday Times (2007)This match may finally persuade him to unveil his first-choice side, provided he has settled on one. Times, Sunday Times (2015)They bullied and finally persuaded him against the possibility of retreat, but for indecisive days the Allies faced their first major defeat. Whicker's WarBeachy Head might not always persuade or convince as drama, but its poetic rather than maudlin mood and questioning tone could stick with you. Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Trends of 'persuade'
Very Common. persuade is one of the 4000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary
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Translations for 'persuade'
British English: persuade
/pəˈsweɪd/ VERB
If you persuade someone to do a particular thing, you get them to do it, usually by convincing them that it is a good idea.
My husband persuaded me to come.
- American English: persuade
- Arabic: يُقْنِعُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: persuadir
- Chinese: 说服
- Croatian: uvjeriti
- Czech: přemluvit
- Danish: overtale
- Dutch: overreden
- European Spanish: persuadir
- Finnish: suostutella
- French: persuader
- German: überreden
- Greek: πείθω
- Italian: convincere
- Japanese: 説得する
- Korean: 설득하다
- Norwegian: overtale
- Polish: przekonać
- European Portuguese: persuadir
- Romanian: a convinge
- Russian: убеждать
- Spanish: persuadir
- Swedish: övertala
- Thai: ชักจูง
- Turkish: ikna etme
- Ukrainian: переконувати
- Vietnamese: thuyết phục
Nearby words of 'persuade'
Source
Definition of persuade from the
Collins English Dictionary
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