persuade

2 definitions • 8 examples

to make someone do or believe something by giving them a good reason to do it or by talking to that person and making them believe it:

If she doesn't want to go, nothing you can say will persuade her.

[ + (that) ] It's no use trying to persuade him (that) you're innocent.

[ + to infinitive ] He is trying to persuade local and foreign businesses to invest in the project.

Using a bunch of bananas, the zoo-keeper persuaded the monkey back into its cage.

formal The first priority is to persuade the management of the urgency of this matter.

Her legal advisers persuaded her into/out of mentioning (= to mention/not to mention) the names of the people involved in the robbery.

to cause people to do or believe something, esp. by explaining why they should:

The government is trying to persuade consumers to save more.

She tried to persuade them that they should leave.