Meaning & use
persuasive
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Good at making people accept an idea, believe a claim, or take a desired action.
Grammar: Compare with more/most persuasive; often before nouns like argument or after seem.
Patterns
- a persuasive argument
- be persuasive with someone
- sound persuasive
Maya gave a persuasive argument for moving the meeting online.
The discount was persuasive enough to change my mind.
Word forms
| comparative | more persuasive |
|---|---|
| superlative | most persuasive |
Common combinations
- persuasive argument
- A persuasive argument names costs, benefits, and likely objections.
- persuasive essay
- Her persuasive essay begins with a question readers already care about.
- persuasive evidence
- The bank found the timing persuasive evidence of coordination.
- persuasive speaker
- A persuasive speaker anticipates doubts before they are voiced.
Synonyms and how they differ
- convincing
- Makes a belief or decision feel justified; persuasive stresses the power to move someone.
- compelling
- Stronger, almost impossible to ignore; often used for evidence or reasons.
- credible
- Means believable or trustworthy, not necessarily effective at winning agreement.
- eloquent
- Describes fluent, beautiful expression; a speech can be eloquent but not persuasive.
Opposites
Word family
- persuade verb
- To cause someone to believe or do something.
- persuasion noun
- The act or skill of persuading; also a belief group in formal use.
- persuasively adverb
- In a way that persuades.
Commonly confused: persuasive or persuaded?
persuasive vs persuaded
Persuasive describes the argument or speaker; persuaded describes the listener after agreeing.
Practice
Choose the best form: “Her evidence was so ___ that the committee approved the plan.”
Choose one answer.
The evidence has the quality of convincing, so use the adjective persuasive. Persuaded describes people who already agree; persuasion is a noun; persuasively is an adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “persuasive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.