Word
persuade
Phoneticsper·suade, stress on the second syllable
US/pɝˈsweɪd/
UK/pəswˈeɪd/
Definitions
01to convince someone to act
B1 · Intermediate General-service
v. to make someone decide to do something by giving them good reasons.
v. to successfully convince an agent to perform an action through reasoning or verbal influence; typically followed by an infinitive clause.
“It took a long time, but I finally persuaded my brother to join the gym with me.”
“The marketing team worked tirelessly to persuade the board that a complete rebranding was necessary for the company's survival.”
Usage
Commonly used in the pattern 'persuade someone to do something'.
Pitfall
I persuaded to him to go.
I persuaded him to go.
The verb 'persuade' is transitive and takes the person as a direct object without the preposition 'to'.
Antonyms
02to convince someone of a fact
B2 · Upper Intermediate General-service
v. to make someone believe that something is true.
v. to cause someone to believe a statement or accept a situation as true through argument or evidence.
“The lawyer tried to persuade the jury that his client was innocent.”
“Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence, it remained difficult to persuade the local community that the water supply was contaminated.”
Usage
Often used with a 'that' clause or the preposition 'of'.
03to try to convince
C2 · Proficiency Dialect · Archaic
v. to try very hard to make someone agree with you, even if they do not change their mind yet.
v. to urge or plead with someone; used in some dialects to describe the attempt to convince rather than the successful result.
“He persuaded with her for hours to stay, but she left anyway.”
“In older texts, you may find the character persuading his companion to flee, though his pleas ultimately fell on deaf ears.”
Teaching tip
In modern standard English, 'persuade' implies success. If the attempt failed, use 'tried to persuade' or 'urged'.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “persuade” in context.
Verb
01. persuade a friend to join
“I managed to persuade a friend to join the gym with me.”
verb + noun + infinitive
02. persuade the boss that it works
“She tried to persuade the boss that the new system would save time.”
verb + noun + that-clause
03. try and persuade
“I will try and persuade him to change his mind before the meeting.”
verb + and + verb
Adverb
04. easily persuade customers
“A good salesperson can easily persuade customers to buy a product.”
adv + verb + noun
05. finally persuade her
“It took hours, but I finally persuaded her to come to the party.”
adv + verb + noun
06. gently persuade a child
“You should gently persuade the child to eat their vegetables.”
adv + verb + noun
07. successfully persuade the committee
“The students successfully persuaded the committee to extend the deadline.”
adv + verb + noun
Etymology
From Latin persuādeō (“to persuade”). Cognate to for, sweet.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/persuade