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persuade
/pərˈsweɪd/
to convince someone to do something
She persuaded him to accept the job offer.
She successfully convinced him to take the position.
formal
to cause someone to believe or do something through reasoning or argument
The lawyer tried to persuade the jury of his client's innocence.
The attorney attempted to convince the jurors that his client did not commit the crime.
Implies a successful outcome; if the attempt fails, use 'try to persuade'.
informal
to influence someone's opinion or decision
I persuaded my friends to go hiking instead of staying home.
I convinced my friends to choose hiking over staying indoors.
Commonly used in daily social interactions.
Collocations
persuade someone to do somethingconvince a person to perform an actionpersuade someone of somethingconvince a person that a fact is truehard to persuadedifficult to convince
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Structure Matters
Remember the pattern: persuade + [person] + to + [verb]. Example: 'He persuaded me to leave.' Do not say 'He persuaded me leaving.'
Gold Rule
Success Implication
Using 'persuaded' implies the action was successful. If the attempt failed, you must say 'tried to persuade' or 'attempted to persuade.'
Word Origin
From Latin persuadere, meaning 'to advise thoroughly,' composed of per- (thoroughly) + suadere (to advise).
Usage Notes
Persuade often implies using emotional appeal or charm, whereas 'convince' focuses more on logic and evidence. However, they are often interchangeable in casual speech. Always followed by an object (person) and then an infinitive verb (to do) or preposition 'of'.
Word Breakdown
per-
thoroughly, completely
prefix-suade
to advise, urge
rootEnglish Dictionary