Dissuade
/dɪˈsweɪd/
Definitions
To persuade someone to abandon a course of action.
/dɪˈsweɪd/
To persuade someone not to do something.
I tried to dissuade him from investing all his money in that risky venture.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend wants to eat a whole cake by themselves. If you convince them to *not* eat the whole thing because it will make them sick, you're trying to dissuade them!
👶 For kids: To tell someone not to do something because it's a bad idea.
More Examples
Her friends attempted to dissuade her from quitting her job without another one lined up.
The lawyer hoped to dissuade the jury from believing the witness's testimony.
How It's Used
"Parents often try to dissuade their children from dangerous activities."
"The government attempted to dissuade citizens from protesting."
From Latin *dissuadere*, from *dis-* (apart) + *suadere* (to advise).
Used since the 16th century, with similar meaning as today.
Memory tip
Think 'dis' (against) 'suade' (persuade). Trying to persuade AGAINST doing something.