persuasive

persuasive — adjective

1. good at making people agree with an idea, trust what is said, or decide to act

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

good at making people agree with an idea, trust what is said, or decide to act

Example

Mina's calm explanation was persuasive enough to stop the argument.

pattern: persuasive enough to + verb

The lawyer gave persuasive evidence from the shop's security camera.

collocation: persuasive evidence

Common collocations
  • persuasive argument
  • persuasive case
  • persuasive evidence
  • persuasive speech
  • persuasive tone
Synonyms
  • convincing

    often stresses that the reasons or proof seem true and solid

  • compelling

    suggests a stronger pull that is hard to resist

  • effective

    means it works well, but not always by changing someone's mind

  • eloquent

    focuses on expressive, skillful speaking or writing rather than the result alone

Antonyms
  • unconvincing

    describes reasons or messages that do not make people believe them

  • ineffective

    broader opposite for something that fails to produce the wanted result

Grammar Patterns

persuasive argument

be persuasive enough to + verb

seem/sound persuasive

Usage Note

Usually describes words, reasons, evidence, plans, or a speaker's manner rather than a person alone. After linking verbs such as seem, sound, and be, it comments on the effect the message has on listeners.

Common Mistakes

The teacher was persuasive me to join the club.
The teacher persuaded me to join the club.
persuasive is an adjective; use the verb persuade before a person + to-infinitive.
The speech persuaded, so everyone agreed.
The speech was persuasive, so everyone agreed.
use persuasive to describe the speech itself.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Persuasive describes words, reasons, or behavior that move people toward agreement or action. Convincing is close, but it often focuses more on proof and logic: a convincing explanation answers doubts clearly. Compelling is stronger and more forceful; it can suggest that the evidence or story is hard to ignore. Effective is broader and only tells you that something works; an effective ad may increase sales without sounding especially thoughtful or skillful. In short, persuasive points to the power to win people over. You might say The lawyer made a persuasive case, but The lab report gave convincing evidence.

persuasive ↗convincing ↗compelling ↗effective ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • persuasive enough to
  • sound persuasive
  • seem persuasive

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Persuasive comes from persuade, a word English built from Latin persuadere, meaning to bring someone to believe or do something. The adjective developed to describe speech, writing, evidence, or behavior that can win agreement.