convincing

convincing — adjective

1. Describes a statement, piece of evidence, or argument that gives you strong enou

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Describes a statement, piece of evidence, or argument that gives you strong enough reasons to feel sure that what it says is true or correct.

Example

Tariro presented a convincing argument that made the whole committee change its decision.

collocation: convincing argument

The detective searched for convincing proof but found nothing that connected the two cases.

collocation: convincing proof

Common collocations
  • convincing argument
  • convincing evidence
  • convincing explanation
  • convincing proof
  • convincing reason
  • convincing case
Synonyms
  • persuasive

    stronger emphasis on changing someone's mind or getting them to act; 'persuasive' often implies skill in communication

  • compelling

    even stronger — so convincing that you almost have no choice but to agree; often used for evidence or reasons

  • plausible

    weaker than 'convincing'; means something seems reasonable but may not be backed by solid proof

Antonyms
  • unconvincing

    the direct opposite; not able to make you believe something is true

  • doubtful

    suggests that the truth of something is uncertain rather than disproved

Grammar Patterns

convincing + noun

be convincing

so convincing that …

Usage Note

Typically describes evidence, arguments, explanations, or reasons. Can also describe a person's manner or performance (e.g. 'a convincing speaker'), though this is less common than describing the evidence itself.

Common Mistakes

He gave a convincing idea.
He gave a convincing argument.
'convincing' pairs more naturally with 'argument', 'evidence', 'proof', or 'explanation' than with 'idea'.

2. A convincing victory, win, or result is one in which the winning side is clearly

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

A convincing victory, win, or result is one in which the winning side is clearly far stronger than its opponent, with a large margin that leaves no doubt about who was better.

Example

Andrés won by a convincing margin, taking nearly seventy percent of the vote.

collocation: convincing margin

The team's convincing victory in the final earned them a spot in the national championship.

collocation: convincing victory

Common collocations
  • convincing victory
  • convincing win
  • convincing margin
  • convincing result
Synonyms
  • decisive

    emphasises that the result settled the contest with finality, though not necessarily by a large margin

  • resounding

    even stronger — suggests a triumph that is widely acknowledged and celebrated

  • landslide

    used almost exclusively for elections or votes; implies an extremely large majority

Antonyms
  • narrow

    describes a win by a very small margin; the opposite of a convincing margin

  • close

    suggests the result could have gone either way

Grammar Patterns

convincing + noun

be convincing

Usage Note

Most commonly appears before the nouns victory, win, margin, or result. May also be used predicatively ('the margin was convincing'), though the attributive position is far more frequent.

Common Mistakes

The team won a convincing game.
The team won a convincing victory.
'convincing' describes the margin or result, not the game or match itself.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that makes you believe or accept an idea, but they differ in strength and focus. Convincing is the most general term — it means something has enough proof or reasoning to make you feel sure it is true (e.g., 'the witness gave convincing testimony'). Persuasive adds the idea of actively changing someone's mind through skillful argument or appeal (e.g., 'a persuasive speech that won over the audience'). Compelling is the strongest — it suggests the evidence or argument is so powerful that agreement feels almost inevitable (e.g., 'DNA evidence provided compelling proof of his guilt'). Plausible is the weakest of the four — it only means something seems reasonable at first glance, even if it may not be true (e.g., 'her story sounded plausible, but the police had doubts'). Use 'convincing' when you want to describe evidence or reasons that remove doubt; use 'plausible' when you mean 'possible but not proven', and 'compelling' when the case is virtually unanswerable.

convincing ↗persuasive ↗compelling ↗plausible ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The adjective 'convincing' developed from the verb 'convince', which came into English from Latin 'convincere' — a combination of 'con-' (meaning 'thoroughly, completely') and 'vincere' (meaning 'to conquer'). The verb originally meant 'to overcome by argument', and by the late 1500s the adjective form was being used to describe arguments or evidence that overcome doubt.