dissuade
Say it: dih-SWAYD /dɪˈsweɪd/ · verb
What “dissuade” means
Persuade someone not to do something.
More precisely: To persuade someone not to do something.
Example: “Friends tried to dissuade him from quitting before he'd found another job.”
When to use it
In everyday or formal conversation, when advice changes someone's mind about taking an unwise or unwanted action.
Memory trick
Persuade someone to do it; dissuade someone from doing it.
Similar words
deter, discourage, talk out of
Where it comes from
From Latin dissuadere, from dis- + suadere 'to advise, persuade'.
Quick check
Your sister explains the hidden costs of a car until you decide against buying it. What did she do?
dissuade or forbid?
Show the answer
dissuade
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