Definitions for persuade
pərˈsweɪdper·suade

Princeton's WordNet(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. carry, persuade, swayverb

   win approval or support for

   "Carry all before one"; "His speech did not sway the voters"

2. persuadeverb

   cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm

   "You can't persuade me to buy this ugly vase!"

Wiktionary(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. persuadeverb

   To successfully convince (someone) to agree to, accept, or do something, usually through reasoning and verbal influence. Compare sway.

   That salesman was able to persuade me into buying this bottle of lotion.

2. persuadeverb

   To urge, plead; to try to convince (someone to do something).

3. Etymology: From persuadeo.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. To PERSUADEverb

   Etymology: persuadeo, Lat. persuader, Fr.

   1. To bring to any particular opinion.

   Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Romans.

   We are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation. Hebrews vi. 9.

   Joy over them that are persuaded to salvation. 2 Esdras vii.

   Let a man be ever so well persuaded of the advantages of virtue, yet, till he hungers and thirsts after righteousness, his will will not be determined to any action in pursuit of this confessed great good. John Locke.

   Men should seriously persuade themselves, that they have here no abiding place, but are only in their passage to the heavenly Jerusalem. William Wake, Preparation for Death.

   2. To influence by argument or expostulation. Persuasion seems rather applicable to the passions, and argument to the reason; but this is not always observed.

   Philoclea’s beauty not only persuaded, but so persuaded as all hearts must yield: Pamela’s beauty used violence, and such as no heart could resist. Philip Sidney.

   They that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were persuaded for money. 2 Mac. x. 20.

   To sit cross-leg’d, or with our fingers pectinated, is accounted bad, and friends will persuade us from it. Brown.

   I should be glad, if I could persuade him to write such another critick on any thing of mine; for when he condemns any of my poems, he makes the world have a better opinion of them. Dryden.

   3. To inculcate by argument or expostulation.

   To children, afraid of vain images, we persuade confidence by making them handle and look nearer such things. Taylor.

   4. To treat by persuasion. A mode of speech not in use.

   Twenty merchants have all persuaded with him;
   But none can drive him from the envious plea
   Of forfeiture. William Shakespeare.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Persuadeverb

   to influence or gain over by argument, advice, entreaty, expostulation, etc.; to draw or incline to a determination by presenting sufficient motives

2. Persuadeverb

   to try to influence

3. Persuadeverb

   to convince by argument, or by reasons offered or suggested from reflection, etc.; to cause to believe

4. Persuadeverb

   to inculcate by argument or expostulation; to advise; to recommend

5. Persuadeverb

   to use persuasion; to plead; to prevail by persuasion

6. Persuadenoun

   persuasion

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Persuade

   per-swād′, v.t. to influence successfully by argument, advice, &c.: to bring to any particular opinion: to cause to believe: to convince.—adj. Persuad′able.—n. Persuad′er.—adj. Persuā′sible, capable of being persuaded.—ns. Persuā′sibleness, Persuasibil′ity; Persuā′sion, act of persuading: state of being persuaded: settled opinion: a creed: a party adhering to a creed: (Spens.) an inducement.—adjs. Persuā′sive, Persuā′sory, having the power to persuade: influencing the mind or passions.—n. that which persuades or wins over.—adv. Persuā′sively.—n. Persuā′siveness. [Fr.,—L. persuadēre, -suasum—per, thoroughly, suadēre, to advise.]

Matched Categories

1. • Induce

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'persuade' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3950

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'persuade' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3809

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'persuade' in Verbs Frequency: #398

How to pronounce persuade?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say persuade in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of persuade in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of persuade in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of persuade in a Sentence

1. Jeb Bush:

   You don't abandon your core beliefs, you go try to persuade people as I'm doing now, i think you need to be genuine. I think you need to have a backbone.

2. Dwight D Eisenhower:

   I would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone.

3. Li Ran/Xinhua via AP:

   It is an effort to use China’s influence to persuade the Taliban not to seek a military victory but to negotiate seriously for an inclusive political settlement.

4. Richard Dyer:

   People in the environmental movement and climate scientists have been trying to persuade the public and government to take serious action and nothing has happened, we want to use any way we can to make people and governments sit up and notice.

5. Lorella Praeli:

   Their choices and investments are noticeable, they're making a full court press across the board to reach, persuade and mobilize Latinx voters.

Popularity rank by frequency of use