WordValepersuade
to convince through reasoning
In more detail
to cause someone to believe something or do something by giving them reasons to do it
Examples
- The salesman persuaded her to buy the car by showing her its safety features.
- I tried to persuade my friend to come to the party, but she had to work.
How to use persuade
Persuade emphasizes the act of causing someone to believe or act through reasoning, argument, or appeals—it requires active effort. It differs from convince in that persuade focuses more on the action taken to change behavior, while convince focuses on creating belief. Persuade is commonly used in both formal and everyday contexts and often suggests a degree of resistance being overcome.
Common phrases
- persuade someone to do something
- persuade someone of something
- hard to persuade
- easily persuaded
- persuade someone otherwise
Synonyms
convince · talk into · induce · sway · win over
Opposites
dissuade · deter
Word family
persuasion · persuasive · persuasively · persuader
A common mistake
Learners often confuse persuade with convince; while related, persuade typically takes an infinitive object (persuade someone to do) while convince typically takes a prepositional phrase (convince someone of something), though both can overlap.
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