WordValedissuade
to persuade not to do something
to argue someone out of an action
In more detail
1. (verb) to persuade someone not to do something by advising against it or showing that it is not a good idea
Examples
- Nothing could dissuade him from leaving the company.
How to use dissuade
Dissuade is a formal verb meaning to convince someone to abandon a plan or intention through reasoned argument or advice. It is more deliberate and forceful than simply discouraging, implying active persuasion against an action. It is commonly used in formal contexts such as literature, professional communication, and discussions of influence or advice-giving.
Common phrases
- dissuade someone from doing something
- dissuade someone from a course of action
- attempt to dissuade
- successfully dissuade
- dissuade by arguing
Synonyms
discourage · deter · talk out of · advise against · persuade against
Opposites
persuade · encourage · incite
Word family
dissuasion (noun) · dissuasive (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse dissuade with persuade or use it without the preposition 'from'; the correct pattern is 'dissuade someone from doing X', not 'dissuade someone to do X'.
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