dissuade

verb

dis·​suade di-ˈswād How to pronounce dissuade (audio)
dissuaded; dissuading
Synonyms of dissuade

transitive verb

1
a
: to advise (a person) against something
… dissuading us from base thoughts, low ends, ignoble gains …—A. T. Quiller-Couch
b
archaic : to advise against (an action)
2
: to turn from something by persuasion
unable to dissuade him from going
dissuader noun

Synonyms of dissuade

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Examples of dissuade in a Sentence

Our warnings did not dissuade them. tried to dissuade her from her intention to drop out of college
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His opposition to the California proposal wasn't enough to dissuade the state Democratic Party's executive board from endorsing the measure earlier this year. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang of Arcadia, who were arrested at their home Tuesday morning, were set to be charged with several felonies, including conspiracy to commit child abuse and dissuading a witness, DA Nathan Hochman said. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Piker, meanwhile, shot back at the mayor for using his name to try to dissuade voters from supporting Raman. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Black influencers, some with more than a million followers on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, warned against deceptive efforts to dissuade Black people from voting. — New York Times, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissuade

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French dissuader, from Latin dissuadēre, from dis- + suadēre to urge — more at sweet

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dissuade was in the 15th century

Rhymes for dissuade

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Browse Nearby Words

dissuadable
dissuade
dissuader
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Cite this Entry

“Dissuade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissuade. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dissuade

verb
dis·​suade dis-ˈwād How to pronounce dissuade (audio)
dissuaded; dissuading
: to persuade or advise not to do something
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