Persuade
/pərˈsweɪd/
Definitions
To convince someone to do or believe something by giving them good reasons.
/pərˈsweɪd/
To cause someone to do or believe something through reasoning or argument.
She persuaded her parents to let her go to the concert.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to convince your friend to watch your favorite movie. You might *persuade* them by saying, 'It's got great special effects and a funny dog!' You're giving them reasons to agree!
👶 For kids: To make someone believe something or do something by talking nicely and giving them good reasons.
More Examples
The lawyer persuaded the jury of his client's innocence.
He tried to persuade her to change her mind.
How It's Used
"The candidate tried to persuade voters to support his policies."
"The salesperson persuaded the client to purchase the product."
Idioms & expressions
persuade someone of something
To convince someone that something is true.
"She persuaded her boss of her capabilities."
persuade someone to do something
To convince someone to perform a specific action.
"He persuaded her to take a vacation."
From Latin *persuadere* ('to convince, persuade'), from *per-* ('thoroughly') + *suadere* ('to advise, urge').
The word has been used since the 14th century, evolving from its Latin origins to mean 'to convince by argument or entreaty.'
Memory tip
Imagine a sweet 'persuade' (pear-suade) - you offer a sweet, convincing argument to get someone to agree with you.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: suadere