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

Throughout that spring, American and European officials had been waging a pressure campaign to dissuade Khan from pursuing the Israeli warrants. —David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025

Initially, Reeves suggested that the pair alternate nights as Estragon and Vladimir, but Lloyd dissuaded them from taking on that challenge. —Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025

Prosecutors also have charged Wang with making criminal threats and dissuading a witness, according to court records. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025

The vast majority — 103 — involved defendants in domestic violence cases trying to dissuade the victim from cooperating with authorities or showing up to court, according to a Journal Sentinel review of court records. —Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 29 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