dissuade

verb

dis·​suade di-ˈswād 

dissuaded; dissuading

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

• deter
• discourage
• inhibit

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

None of this reality dissuaded the authors of Project 2025 from resurrecting work requirements for Medicaid. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024

In 1972, Muhammad Ali was scheduled to compete in South Africa, but a vociferous campaign dissuaded him from doing so. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024

This time, the action was set at the Duane Reade at Port Authority, where Mulaney tries to dissuade Davidson from drinking the milk found in a small refrigerator behind the cash register. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2024

Since 2020, the GOP largely has dissuaded its voters from casting early ballots, citing false conspiracies around mail-in voting and ballot drop boxes. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

dissuade

verb

dis·​suade dis-ˈwād 

dissuaded; dissuading

: to persuade or advise not to do something