persuade
To talk someone into doing or believing something.
persuade in a sentence
- Amir tried to persuade his mum that a pet snake would be a wonderful idea.
- The poster tried to persuade shoppers to buy local apples instead of ones flown from far away.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to persuade?
- Adissuade
- Bdiscourage
- Cconvince
Show the answer
C: convince. The other three mean the opposite of persuade.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to persuade?
- Adissuade
- Bconvince
- Curge
Show the answer
A: dissuade. The other three mean nearly the same as persuade.
Words that mean something similar
convince, urge
Words that mean the opposite
dissuade, discourage
More words about speech & sound
- plead: To beg for something in a very serious way.
- pledge: A serious promise to do something.
- proclaim: To announce something important loudly and publicly.
- protest: To speak out or act to show you strongly disagree with something.
- quarrel: An angry argument between people.
- query: A question, especially one asking for information.
- quibble: To argue about tiny things that do not matter.
- ramble: To walk for pleasure, or to talk on and on without a clear point.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test