persuade

verb

per·​suade pər-ˈswād How to pronounce persuade (audio)
persuaded; persuading

transitive verb

1
: to move by argument, entreaty, or expostulation to a belief, position, or course of action
2
: to plead with : urge
persuader noun

Examples of persuade in a Sentence

He persuaded his friend to go back to school. She couldn't be persuaded to go. He would not let himself be persuaded into buying the more expensive stereo. I am not easily persuaded. They persuaded us that we were wrong. He persuaded himself that he had made the right choice.
Recent Examples on the Web To persuade customers to stay, DirecTV struck deals with Sling, owned by rival satellite provider Dish Network, and Fubo to offer its customers credits and discounts to sign up for competing streaming services so people could watch the game. Robert Ilich, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024 Could the suit persuade other reporters not to dig too deep? Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024 His fans are eager to hear his narratives, but his narratives are not very effective in persuading people with different opinions. Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.d., Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 Whether this is enough to persuade the courts to set aside Russell’s conviction remains to be seen. Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for persuade 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'persuade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin persuadēre, from per- thoroughly + suadēre to advise, urge — more at sweet

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of persuade was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near persuade

Cite this Entry

“Persuade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persuade. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

persuade

verb
per·​suade pər-ˈswād How to pronounce persuade (audio)
persuaded; persuading
: to win over to a belief or to a course of action by argument or earnest request
persuadable
-ˈswād-ə-bəl
adjective
persuader noun

More from Merriam-Webster on persuade

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