dissuade

verb

dis·​suade di-ˈswād 

dissuaded; dissuading

transitive verb

1

a

: to advise (a person) against something

… dissuading us from base thoughts, low ends, ignoble gains …

—A. T. Quiller-Couch

b

archaic : to advise against (an action)

2

: to turn from something by persuasion

unable to dissuade him from going

dissuader noun

Synonyms

• discourage
• deter

Examples of dissuade in a Sentence

Our warnings did not dissuade them.

tried to dissuade her from her intention to drop out of college

Recent Examples on the Web

Riley Keough tried to dissuade her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, from suing her grandmother, Priscilla Presley. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025

Even the creaky visions that start to plague him, the terrifying nightmares (jump scares ahoy, and so many of them cheap) can’t dissuade Charles from taking up Anniston on the offer. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025

Photos showed Trump leaving the White House to visit one of his golf courses on August 30, but that didn’t dissuade the psychic. —Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025

As well as overall affordability concerns, experts believe buyers are being dissuaded by elevated mortgage rates. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French dissuader, from Latin dissuadēre, from dis- + suadēre to urge — more at sweet

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for dissuade

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted

Kids Definition

dissuade

verb

dis·​suade dis-ˈwād 

dissuaded; dissuading

: to persuade or advise not to do something