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tr.v. per·suad·ed, per·suad·ing, per·suades To cause (someone) to accept a point of view or to undertake a course of action by means of argument, reasoning, or entreaty: "to make children fit to live in a society by persuading them to learn and accept its codes" (Alan W. Watts). See Usage Note at convince. [Latin persuādēre : per-, per- + suādēre, to urge; see swād- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] per·suada·ble adj. per·suader n. Synonyms: persuade, induce, prevail, convince These verbs mean to succeed in causing a person to do or consent to something. Persuade means to win someone over, as by reasoning or force of personality: Nothing could persuade her to change her mind. To induce is to lead, as to a course of action, by means of influence or persuasion: "Pray what could induce him to commit so rash an action?" (Oliver Goldsmith). One prevails on somebody who resists: "He had prevailed upon the king to spare them" (Daniel Defoe). To convince is to persuade by the use of argument or evidence: The salesman convinced me that the car was worth the price. |
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